(*Reader Recipe)
Karen is a baker as you probably remember from the Upside-Down Sausage-Apple Muffins she made for The First Unconfidential Cooks’ Dinner, the Valentine’s Day Cupcakes she made with Emma and the Chinese Sponge Cake. For our second dinner, she made Giada’s recipe for these beauteous, chocolatey (I have to wonder if she was thinking, Catherine would love these…) cupcakes. They were divine, but Karen suggests baking five minutes less for a moister version.
Cupcakes
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup water
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Ganache
1 cup (or about 6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Special equipment: 2 (12-count) muffin pans with paper liners
Make the Cupcakes:
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.
Combine the unsweetened chocolate and water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese until the mixture is smooth.
Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl for 30 seconds. Stir in the mascarpone mixture. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture. Stir until just blended.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with no crumbs attached. Cool the cupcakes completely before dipping, about 1 hour.
Make the Ganache:
Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until small bubbles appear on the outside edge of the cream. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate chips. Using a fork, gently stir until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Dip the tops of each cupcake in the ganache and transfer to a baking sheet. Place the dipped cupcakes in the refrigerator to set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow cupcakes to return to room temperature before serving.
Cook’s Note: For puffier cupcakes allow the batter to rest in the muffin pans for 20 minutes before baking.
Other Recipes from Karen
Upside-Down Sausage-Apple Muffins
The frosting on these cupcakes makes me want to lick the screen! Yum.
By: Phoo-D on May 14, 2009
at 1:46 pm
Who can resist cupcakes. Love your decorations on top.
By: Hélène on May 14, 2009
at 3:57 pm
These are amazing! I love the little flowers on top!
By: 5 Star Foodie on May 14, 2009
at 9:07 pm
MMMMM…the cupcakes look fenomenal yummie!!!
I prefer to eat mine without frosting, for a better flavour!!
But they do look so lovely,….aaaaahhhh!
By: Sophie on May 15, 2009
at 1:14 am
Wow. These are some killer cupcakes. They sound heavenly with the marscapone cheese. What adorable decorations on top!
By: Donna on May 15, 2009
at 4:11 am
Those are pretty! And super chocolaty-love the ganache topping!
By: Reeni on May 15, 2009
at 7:20 am
These are beautiful, I am in love! Love the ganache topping.
By: noble pig on May 15, 2009
at 9:28 am
I didn’t know Giada had a cupcake recipe – they look so good!
By: Cate O'Malley on May 15, 2009
at 12:55 pm
I swear by marscapone cheese. It literally makes all baking goods better. Did you ever try my butterscotch & banana bread? It has marscapone cheese in it.
By: dawn on May 16, 2009
at 11:53 am
YUM! this looks great i love cupcakes
thanks
By: Recipe man on May 17, 2009
at 4:49 am
What a perfect shape and those lovely flowers!!! Must be very delicious!!!
By: Jolita on May 17, 2009
at 9:15 am
Sooo pretty. I’m intrigued by the tip for getting puffier cupcakes. I’ll definitely try that out.
By: lickedspoon on May 17, 2009
at 10:31 am
Bet the mascarpone in there worked a whole lot of magic…these look divine!
By: deeba on May 17, 2009
at 5:05 pm
mascarpone in the batter? oh my god, a whole level of sweet richness in there!
By: burpexcuzme on May 17, 2009
at 7:08 pm
what a perfect cupcake! the overhang is the perfect size and the ganache is the perfect consistency. perfect.
By: grace on May 18, 2009
at 7:21 am
Great cupcakes! The marscarpone is divine.
By: duodishes on May 18, 2009
at 10:10 am
Oh! They look so cute, so perfect…I’d have a hard time to eat them…but I definitely want to taste the marscarpone in it! Very nice pictures. By the way, thank you so much for visiting my site.
By: Juliana on May 18, 2009
at 12:37 pm
I always see Giada cooking things with marscapone cheese, yet I have never tried it before in my life!
Those cupcakes look wonderful, I may just have to give it a whirl!
By: Jenn@slim-shoppin on May 18, 2009
at 1:03 pm
these look so delicious!! marscapone takes everything to a new level!
By: Dorothy on May 19, 2009
at 9:49 pm
These are so pretty and I love that they have mascarpone in them- yum!
By: Monica H on June 9, 2009
at 8:20 pm
These are the cupcakes Giada made on Everyday Italian on Food Network it’s the exact same instructions and ingredients.
By: Dorothy on August 4, 2009
at 9:10 am
Yes…and in the copy, it says that this is Giada’s recipe.
By: Catherine on August 4, 2009
at 9:17 am