Gluten-Free Mocha Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Caramel Ganache

Holy chocolate, Batman!  If you've got a choco-craving and it's cupcakes you're after, then look no further.  These babies will feed your need.  I wanted to create something chocolatey and fun this week for a work party, and I thought: what goes well with chocolate?  Coffee!  And caramel!  And I mean, most things, but chocolate and caramel are a pretty good start!

The cupcakes are a breeze to whip up, but I'd recommend making the frosting first (preferably in advance), because ganache really needs a good several hours to set before it can be whipped into frosting.  Also, I used home-made dulce de leche that I'd prepared earlier in the week, but you can easily use store-bought.  If you're going to make the dulce de leche from scratch, you'll definitely need to do that first.  It's super easy to do, but time-consuming.  You can find my post on how to make it here.

Lastly, a note on the cocoa.  I used to live in The Netherlands (yes, AND Argentina), so I just about lost my mind when I found Droste Cacao (real Dutch cocoa) in my local supermarket!  Even though it was a whopping $10 for 8.8 ounces, I couldn't pass it up because this stuff is the REAL. DEAL.  If you can get it, Dutch-process cocoa (versus "natural cocoa" like Hershey's) makes a huge difference in the flavor.  It's deeper, darker and richer, and goes really well with the coffee.

So, dear readers, here's the recipe!

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 5 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons coffee, cooled to room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour blend with xanthan gum
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Frosting:

• 8 oz (about 1 1/3 cups) dark chocolate, chopped (or dark chocolate chips)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2/3 cup dulce de leche

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
2. Make the ganache: Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Slowly heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until it is just simmering.  Pour the heated cream over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.  Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ganache to prevent a skin from forming and let cool completely on the counter or in the fridge (this can take 1 hour in the fridge, and about 3 hours on the counter).  It should thicken up significantly. 
3. Make the cupcake batter: start by combining the melted butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat together.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  
5. Stir the coffee, vanilla and milk together in a small bowl.  This ensures your coffee won't scramble the eggs if it's not completely cool.
6. Pour the coffee/milk/vanilla mixture into the butter/sugar/eggs, and beat again.  It should begin to look slightly frothy.
7. Mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
8. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients one third at a time, beating after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula after each beating.
9. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full with mixture (I use a measuring cup to ensure even distribution of batter).  
10. Bake the cupcakes 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
11. Cool the cupcakes completely on a wire rack.  Meanwhile, make the frosting:
12. Once the ganache has cooled and thickened, pour in the dulce de leche.  If you're using the store-bought stuff that comes in a can, you may need to microwave it first in 30-second increments until it becomes pourable.
13. Beat on a high speed for about 1 to 2 minutes, until it the frosting becomes fluffy and spreadable.  
14. Pipe or spread the frosting onto the completely cooled cupcakes, and enjoy!