Starbucks' Style Ganache Filled Red Velvet Cupcakes

[ING_rep]

Since Valentine's day is coming, I thought I should share this! Enjoy!

Cake Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tbsp. vinegar, OR 1 cup water, nutmilk, or soymilk + 1 tbsp. vinegar
1 1 oz. bottle red food coloring
2 cups Better Batter Gluten Free Flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. white vinegar

Ganache Ingredients
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 cups heavy cream OR Silk creamer OR homemade Almond Creamer

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or margarine
8 oz. cream cheese OR Tofutti Cream Cheese OR cultured nut cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-15 muffin tins with white liners.

Beat butter or margarine and sugar in a bowl, on medium speed, for about 4 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.

Meanwhile, stir together buttermilk and food coloring in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa and salt.

Turn mixer speed to low. Alternate between the buttermilk and flour mixture, about a third at a time, until just combined.

In a small cup, stir together vinegar and baking soda. Allow to fizz before adding to the batter.

Fill liners, no more than 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tops lightly spring back when you touch them. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack.

Meanwhile, prepare Ganache:
Melt chocolate into cream in a double boiler over low heat, stirring constantly. pour into a large bowl and set in the fridge to cool, about 30 minutes. This should be thin enough to pipe but thick enough to hold a shape. Place into an icing bag fitted with the largest star tip or a filling tip.

Take a toothpick and poke the top of each cooled cupcake. Swirl the toothpick around to create a ‘hole’ in the center of each cupcake, disturbing as little of the surface as possible. Pipe about 1 1/2 tbsp. of ganache into the center of each cupcake.

Place into the fridge to set completely while you make the Cream Cheese Frosting:
Cream butter or margarine and cream cheese together until smooth. Add vanilla extract and beat till very smooth. Add powdered sugar. Spoon into piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes.

Return cupcakes to fridge for 30 minutes to set the frosting.

Sprinkle with red sugar, if desired.

[Bamboo_Shoots]

mmmmmmm sounds amazing!!!