Triple chocolate cupcakes for valentines day

Hey you! 
I hope all is well and that you had a good start in the new week.
A little note; I receive a lot of messages from you guys on →Instagram in my inbox.
That you love my recipe´s from my blog and books!  I´m so happy to get all your feedbacks and love seeing everything you bake from my blog and books. I want to thank you all so much for sending so much love!

Valentine’s day is almost here, and one thing I love to serve on this day is a moist chocolate cupcake with a luscious chocolate frosting that just melts in your mouth.
I like to keep the cupcake plain, with just a beautiful chocolate rose, and optionally topped with one candy.

The cupcake is so delicious and I just love a chocolate frosting that has lots of chocolate inside!
If you are not a fan of dark chocolate, or if you find it bitter in taste, use a 53% dark chocolate when you make the frosting and also, you don’t need to add the extra cocoa mixture into the frosting, you can just leave that out! 
Another favorite way of serving this cupcake is to make a small center in the middle of your cupcake ( just use a sharp knife) and fill each cupcake with 1/2 teaspoon of →passionfruit before you pipe the rose on top, it is a great combo!
I also at times like to fill the center with homemade →pastry cream,( you can find the recipe →here)  and then top it with the chocolate frosting.
Have fun baking.

Triple chocolate cupcakes for valentines day

Chocolate Cupcakes ( makes →24 medium cupcakes)

• 14 tablespoons ( 200 gram) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
• 1 1/3 cups ( 300 gram ) granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon ( 200 gram) all-purpose flour, sifted
• 3/4 cup-1 tablespoon ( 80 gram) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup  ( 200 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup ( 100 ml) brewed coffee, warm
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, optional

Chocolate Frosting;

• 12 oz. (400 grams) best quality dark chocolate 55-70%, chopped or callets/disc like Callebaut, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 cups (350 gram) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups ( 150 gram) powdered sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup + 1 teaspoon ( 45 gram) best-quality dark cocoa powder, (optional)
• 1/3 cup ( 100 ml) boiled water or brewed coffee, (optional)
• 6 oz. ( 200 gram) mascarpone, straight from the fridge ( you can also use cream cheese instead of mascarpone)

Directions for the Chocolate Cupcakes;

• Preheat oven to 350F° (180C°).
•  Line two cupcake pans with 24 medium cupcake liners
• Sift flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl twice, and set aside.
• In a bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Scrape the side and the bottom of the bowl, add the sugar and vanilla bean paste.
• Miks for 4 minutes more, stop the mixer and scrape the side and the bottom of the bowl again!
• Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition, but not more than 30 seconds each.
• Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture,  the heavy cream, and coffee beating slowly until well incorporated, but not more than 30  seconds. ( I just do pulse instead of mixing the batter)
• Scrape the side and the bottom of the bowl again to make sure it is all incorporated.
• Scoop the batter into baking cups so that each cup is about. 3/4 full, I use a standard size ice-cream scoop for this.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
• Transfer the pans to a wire rack to cool for one minute then remove the baking cups from the baking pan, let cool completely on a cooling rack.

Directions for the chocolate frosting;

• Melt 12 oz. (400 grams) best-quality dark or extra dark chocolate, in the microwave, cool and set aside for now.
• Combine cocoa powder, espresso powder, and boiling water, stirring until it forms a paste and the cocoa powder is dissolved, cool and set aside for now. ( If you are not a fan of too dark chocolate you can leave this part out)
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until very pale and creamy, 7 minutes.
• Add the melted and cooled chocolate, cocoa mixture, cold mascarpone, and salt, give it a few pulls with your mixer or mix on low speed until combined.
• Fit a pastry bag with a Wilton #1M nozzle; Scoop the frosting into the bag.
•  Let’s make the rose:
• Form a rose by starting to pipe a dot of frosting on the middle of the cupcake, building it a little high, and then make a turn and go as tight as you can, spiraling around the mound of the dot.
• I like to get close to the frosting I just piped out. When you go for the next edge around the first edge try to go as close as you can with “the nozzle / side” of the piping bag to the first edge layer, like you are pushing the frosting to the center with “the side of the nozzle/ bag”, by pushing the side of your piping bag to the edge you just made. This makes your rose more visible, and it pushes the rose edge up and the middle (the dot you made first) disappear into the center, just like a real rose. 
• For decoration, add candy or a marzipan heart (like these →one´s ) on top or just enjoy it like it is!
• Because the cupcakes are made with butter, it is always best to keep the cupcakes covered in room temp as they stay moist and fresh longer!
• These cupcakes keep well for 2 days.

I wish you all an amazing day, check back soon! love Manuela xoxo

Step by step for the cupcakes;

Step by step for the frosting;