Monkey Devil's Food Cupcakes

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Airy texture, intense flavor

 i L-O-V-E chocolate. It was almost impossible to me to pass this recipe without try it out. Besides, seeing people raved over it in reviews, I was curious how sour cream would make differneces in chocolate cakes. However, as I love the combination of Banana + Dark Chocolate, I added banana into the recipe. So these cake should rather be for 'monkey' devils. Lol.

Whenever working with chocolate recipes, use only the FINEST chocolate / cocoa powder you can find. Trust me, the results form different qualities are distinct. 

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Monkey Devil's Food Cupcakes

(adapted from Martha Stewart's Devil's FoodCupcakes)

Ingredients

• ¼ cup + 2 TABLEspoon     unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• ¼ cup + 2 TABLEspoon     hot water
• 1 ½ cups            cake flour
• ½ teaspoon        baking soda
• ½ teaspoon        baking powder
• ½ teaspoons      coarse salt
• 170 g.                unsalted butter
• ¼ cup + 2 TABLEspoons   sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ TABLEspoon + ½ teaspoon   pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup                sour cream, room temperature
• 1 ripe bananas
• Chocolate Ganache Frosting 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each.
3. Chop bananas in medium-big chunks. Stir into the mixture.
4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three- quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

Note to the recipe

·          > I cut bananas in relatively big chunks since they tend to be mushy when baked which might give less their texture and flavor.

·         > For the ganache, I didn’t follow any particular recipe. Just mix melted chocolate (preferably dark one) with cream (I used whipping cream. it’s the only type available in my neighbor.) Don’t worry if your ganache seems a bit runny when mixed. It’ll thicken up, especially when chilled.