Mindful Baking: Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Topping

We are kick starting the first episode of Mindful Cooking & Eating Magic with Mindful Baking. Baking in itself can be a therapeutic experience when you allow yourself sensory experience possibiites… touch…tase..smell… that release feel-good endorhins. Baking Mindfully creates space in the mind and calmness.

In this episode you will be guided through baking Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Topping in a traditional old fashioned baking experience along with mindful techniques and meditations.

To prepare yourself for this expereince you can access the recipe and ingredients you will need ahead of time.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Topping

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup water

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache

9 ounces milk chocolate chips (you can substitute bitter sweet chocolate)

1 cup heavy cream

Method

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 degrees F.

Line a cupcake pan with liners and set it aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, salt, and water and place over medium heat on the stove. Cook, stirring, just until melted and combined. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

In a large bowl, use a hand whisk to whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking soda. Add half of the melted butter mixture and whisk until completely blended. The mixture will be thick. Add the remaining butter mixture and whisk until combined.

Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until completely blended. Whisk in the sour cream then add the vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.

Divide the batter evenly in the cups of your pan filling each 3/4 full. Place in the center of your oven and bake about 20minutes.

After 20 minutes test the center cup cake with a tooth pick and if it comes out clean, it is ready to be removed from the oven.

Let the cakes cool in the pan for a few minutes then take the cupcakes out of the pan and let them cool on a rack for 15 minutes.

For the ganache place the chocolate into a medium bowl and set that a side.

Take your cream and a small sauce pan to the stove. Heat the cream in the small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring it just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour it over the chopped chocolate, and start to whisk it. Whisk until smooth. Keep whisking gently as you allow the ganache to cool just a few minutes.

Dip the top of each cupcake into the ganache then set it on a wire rack allowing the ganache to settle on the cakes. After a few minutes your cupcakes are ready to serve.