Raspberry Cupcakes with Chocolate-Orange Ganache

As the school year is ending (I had my last day of High School last Friday!) we had a good-bye party for a teacher who is leaving the country, so I decided to bring cupcakes! I have just recently been introduced to Sprinkles cupcakes, and there are really quite good (especially when they are free!!), so I was inspired to continue the cupcake trend.

I went to Joy the Baker's blog and found a tasty looking recipe for raspberry almond cupcakes with chocolate ganache, and I decided to make it. I gathered all my ingredients and started measuring and mixing, but when I opened my bottle of almond extract, it was empty! All of the extract must have had evaporated over the many years we have had that bottle. So, I replaced the almond extract with 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and 1 tsp of orange flower water. Unfortunately, the orange flower water did not come out much at all in the final cupcakes, so next time I will put more in. In an attempt to bring out the orange flavor, I added some orange zest to the chocolate ganache, and it was delicious!

I made mini cupcakes instead of full sized ones, using a mini muffin pan and filling a regular pan 1/3 of the way. I also boosted the raspberries, going from the original 1/3c to 1/2c or more. The cupcakes were not soggy at all.

Raspberry Cupcakes with Chocolate-Orange Ganache (basically copied from raspberry almond cupcakes with chocolate ganache with a few variations)

Batter (makes 12 cupcakes)

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp orange flower water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, roughly chopped

1. Put a rack in the middle of the oen and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt inside a bowl.
3. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Beat in egg and almond extract.
5. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk alternately in 3 batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating just until incorporated.
6. Fold in the raspberries.
7. Divide the batter among lined muffin cups. Bake until pale golden and a wooden pick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Turn cupcakes out onto a rack to cool completely.
8. Spread frosting on cupcakes once cooled.

Chocolate-Orange Ganache

• 3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp orange zest

1. Microwave the chocolate with the cream on low until the chocolate is partially melted.
2. Stir until all of the chocolate is melted.
3. If frosting is too loose to spread, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, frosting will continue to thicken as it stands.