-
1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-
2
Stir together boiling water, cocoa, and espresso until smooth; let cool. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add butter mixture alternately with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in chocolate extract.
-
3
Place paper baking cups in 2 (12-cup) muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely.
-
4
To prepare Vanilla Frosting, beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat at high speed 2 minutes or until creamy. Make 3 cups.
-
5
Frost each cupcake with Vanilla Frosting using metal tip no.
-
6
To prepare drizzle, cook butter and sugar in a 2-qt. heavy metal saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is caramel-colored, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and slowly add cream, stirring constantly until blended. Return to heat, and bring to a boil; cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
-
7
To prepare ganache, cook cream in a heavy nonaluminum saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, just until it begins to steam (do not boil); remove from heat. Place chocolate in a glass bowl. Slowly add hot cream to chocolate, beating with a whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is well blended. The mixture will thicken as it cools. Makes about 2 cups.
-
8
Drizzle each cupcake with caramel and chocolate, and top each with chocolate jimmies.
-
9
At
-
10
, we use icecream scoops to place a uniform amount of batter in each baking cup.
