Red Velvet Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Centers and Mascarpone Frosting

I was at my sister's house over the holidays and one of her friends brought these over.  Suffice it to say, I just about died at how good they were!  I'm talking, A-MA-ZING!  Maybe it was the silky smooth ganache center, or the mascarpone whipped cream frosting, or the over all exhilaration that comes when all the flavors combine into one.  When I got home, I asked for this recipe because I was dying to share it with my own family, and of course, because I wanted more...

A great thing about these cupcakes is that they seriously look professionally done, but they aren't!  A few simple tricks can make a regular dessert look tremendous, which I'm all about.  If you've never made ganache before, don't be intimidated.  A ganache, after all, is just a fancy word for a chocolate sauce that is equal parts chocolate and cream all melted, heated and mixed together and allowed to cool.  It is known for it's shiny, glossy appearance.  Also, marscarpone, if you haven't baked with it before, is just a type of creamy cheese, much like it's counterpart...cream cheese.  This recipe is courtesy of Sarah Young--thank you so much!

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Centers and Mascarpone Frosting

Makes 24 cupcakes
(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
1 red velvet cake mix (Note: if you are purist, use this red velvet recipe to make the cupcakes from scratch and ignore the ingredients below)
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
1 cup whole milk
3 eggs

For the ganache:
1 (12 oz.) package of semi-sweet chocolate chips (if you can, use high quality like Guttard)
1 1/4 cup heavy cream

For the mascarpone frosting:
2 (8oz.) containers mascarpone cheese, room temperature (this can be found in your "fancy" cheese section at your grocery store.  Mine is near the deli counter)
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

For the cupcakes:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, melted butter, milk, and eggs together until smooth. 

3.  Spoon into cupcake liners (with a small ice cream scoop if you have one for easy and equal measuring) and bake at 350 for 16-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Do NOT overcook.  (Note:  If you live at a higher elevation, cook for 21 minutes.)

4.  Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before taking them out and allowing them to cool on wire racks.

5.  Once the cupcakes are COMPLETELY cooled, use a small melon baller or a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon to scoop out a little bit of the center of each cupcake.

6.  Place cooled, thickened ganache in a ziplock bag, squeeze the air out, seal it, snip off one of the bottom ends, and pipe the ganache into each of the cupcake center.  Make sure the ganache doesn't spill over onto the top of the cupcake (just looks better this way.)

7.  Place the mascarpone frosting in a ziplock bag the way you did for the ganache, snip the bottom corner, and pipe the frosting, starting with the outer edge, onto each cupcake.

8.  Sprinkle semi-sweet chocolate shavings on top of each cupcake (do this with a zester or the fine part of a cheese grater.)

For the ganache:

1.  In a small saucepan, heat chocolate and cream over low heat until melted, stirring regularly.  Stir with a whisk until mixture is smooth and glossy. 

2.  Let it sit at room temperature (you can use the fridge in a pinch) until mixture thickens.  Note:  If it has come to room temperature and it hasn't thickened, put it in the fridge for 15 minutes--it will thicken that way also.)

3.  Cool completely before piping into cupcakes.

For the mascarpone frosting:

1.  Put the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a mixer and whip until almost soft peaks.

2.  Add the mascarpone cream and combine with whisk BY HAND.  If you just add the mascarpone to the mixer, it will become one massive chucky mess.  Whisk by hand, breaking up the cheese, until soft peaks form.  Do not be frightened if the mixture looks like curdled eggs--this is normal and just the texture of the cheese.  

3.  Place in a ziplock bag and place in the fridge for 10 minutes if the mixture seems too soft to pipe.  When read to finish cupcakes, cut the bag tip and pipe in a circular motion.