Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

I've been wanting to make Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes ever since I've heard Cupcake Wars mention the word Chocolate Ganache. Well at first I had no idea what it was so I looked it up on google search. I then saw an episode on Ina Garten on how to make Chocolate Ganache. Ina dipped her cupcakes in the Chocolate Ganache I wanted to make it more like a frosting the only thing is I don't have a electric mixer so I used a whisk. So here is my version ( my ingredients) of Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 400 decrees
Bake 18-20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean in the center
Makes 23 to 24 cupcakes

Cupcakes 

Ingredients 
 1 cup of butter or margarine, softened
 1/2 cup shortening
 1-1/2 cup sugar (organic)
 2 eggs
 2 cups of all-purpose flour (organic)
 3/4 tsp baking soda
 1/2 tsp baking powder
 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
 2/3 cup milk ( I used an extra 1/2 cup of milk since I added Cocoa to the batter)
 1/2 cup Hershey's Dark Cocoa
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa, add to cream mixture, alternately with milk. Stir in Vanilla mix well. Line cups with cupcake liners, I use the foil liners, l I feel they work a lot better then the paper liners. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full using an ice cream scooper. Bake at 400 decrees for 18 to minutes, insert tooth pick near center if it comes out clean the cupcakes are done. Cool ten minutes, remove cups from pan, let cool completely before you starting frosting cup cakes.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
8 ounces Chocolate ( I used Hershey's Special Dark mildly sweet chocolate bar 6.8 0z)
1 teaspoon Instant Coffee Crystals
*1/2 teaspoon Pure Orange Extract*

Cook the heavy cream, chocolate (break the chocolate bar into pieces), pure orange extract and coffee in a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm stirring occasionally. once it is ready put in refrigerator until the chocolate mixture has thickened. Once it is thickened you can then decorate your cupcakes however you like.

*Note*
I doubled the frosting recipe except for the Pure Orange Extract since I was going to put the ganache in a tube to decorate the cupcakes.

** Note**  
Peanut Butter Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes
You use the same ingredients for the cupcakes. I omitted the Pure Orange Extract and used 1/4 cup of peanut butter in the ganache.
'