Chocolate Covered Pretzel Cupcakes

These are my Chocolate Covered Pretzel cupcake. They have a bottom pretzel crust, then chocolate cake, then chocolate ganache frosting topped with more pretzels. As you can see from the third picture we all have trial and error moments in baking. I still have no idea how this happened…all the pans were filled with the same amount but only this one overflowed and created a cupcake disaster. 

Here are the recipes for all pieces of this cupcake:

Brown Sugar Pretzel Crust 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups pretzels, crushed

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

4 Tablespoons dark brown sugar 

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Press into bottoms of cupcake liners, bake on 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients: 

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

1. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.

2. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

3. Pour batter into cupcake liners, about 3/4 full for each. 

4. Bake in preheated oven for 20-22 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.

5. Cool completely then frost. 

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Ingredients: 

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions: 

1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl either placed over a saucepan of simmering water, or in the microwave. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until creamy, 2 minutes. Add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy another 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated.

3. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is smooth and glossy approximately 3 minutes.

4. Frost your cakes!

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