Hot Fudge Sundae Cupcakes

I bookmarked this awhile ago from Joy the Baker's site and used it the other day when I remembered that a kid at my volunteer place described her dream cupcake to me. It was something like this: "A vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting and whipped cream and a cherry on top!"  What an easy way to make a kid's dream come true. Thanks, Joy! The kids had so much fun making and eating these. Several asked for more.

Just sad that I didn't have those cherries with the stems still on them.

Recipe (original here):


12 Vanilla Cupcakes
from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

1 cup all-purpose flour
a 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
(2) Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda & butter into the bowl of a stand mixer or a handheld beater & beat on slow speed until mixture is a sandy consistency & everything is combined
(3) Gradually pour in half of the milk & beat until the milk is just incorporated
(4) Whisk the egg, vanilla & remaining milk together in a separate bowl for a few seconds, then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated
(5) Scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side or the bottom of the bowl with a spatula
(6) Continue mixing until batter is smooth (just a few minutes without over-mixing).
(7) Spoon batter into paper lined muffin tins, dividing between the 12 cups
(8) Bake for 20-25 min or until light golden & a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean
(9) Let cupcakes cool slightly in the pan, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting

Chocolate Ganache
3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream

(1) Put chocolate chips in a small bowl
(2) Bring cream to a simmer in small heavy saucepan
(3) Pour cream evenly over chocolate
(4) Let stand for one min to soften, then stir until smooth
(5) If frosting is too loose to spread, let it sit at room temperature for 10-30 minutes, stirring occasionally (frosting will thicken as it stands)
(6) Top vanilla cupcakes w/h chocolate ganache, slightly sweetened whipped cream, a cherry (slivered almonds are optional).
* Serve immediately* - Otherwise chocolate will get harder & whipped cream will get runny

Whipped Cream(1) Add a bit of sugar to heavy whipping cream & whip it with a hand-mixer until you reach your desired consistency