GF-Mocha-Cupcakes

This is a mishmash of several recipes. I am serving a family member with a wheat allergy, so gluten-free flour has solved that. I make sure to read the flour ingredients so there is no part of wheat in it. It starts with  agirldefloured‘s adaptation of Hershey’s chocolate cake. I’ve made this twice now and they are really rich cupcakes.

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups gluten-free flour (I used Namaste Perfect Flour Blend)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup hot coffee

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 30 cupcake pans with paper liners.

Whisk the dry ingredients together well. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Whisk in the hot coffee. The batter will be runny. Evenly distribute into cupcake pans and bake until the centers bounce back when tested with finger, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

The next step is to make the mocha filling. That recipe is from myrecipes.

5 Tbsp. gluten-free flour (I used Namaste Perfect Flour Blend)

2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbsp. instant coffee granules

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

In a small saucepan whisk together the GF flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee and half-and-half. Over medium heat continue whisking for about 5 minutes until it is thick. Remove from heat and pour into a dish. Cover with plastic wrap, push it onto the surface so a skin does not form. Let stand for 30 minutes or until cool. I did not chill this and in retrospect I do not think it would work well if you did chill it. Stick with the directions.

Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add cooled mocha mixture, one tablespoon at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla and beat mixture until it’s the consistency of whipped cream.

And the final piece is the coffee liqueur ganache found at myrecipes.

12-oz. bittersweet chocolate baking chips

1-1/4 cups whipping cream

1 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. coffee liqueur (Kahlua)

Place chocolate in bowl. Heat whipping cream just to boiling and pour over chocolate. Stir until smooth. Stir in butter and liqueur. Let stand until spreading consistency. It took longer than 45 minutes, keep testing this.

Assembly: Remove centers from the cooled cupcakes. I used a teaspoon to dollop mocha filling into the centers. I let the cupcakes then sit for a few minutes before using a tablespoon to pour the ganache over each cupcake. It firmed up fairly quickly then.

REALLY, REALLY YUMMY!