We’re here today to destroy your new year’s resolutions, shatter your dreams for a health-conscious weekend and, most likely make you forget all about any diet you’ve stuck to lately.  We have no remorse. We don’t feel repentant. The title says it all. These red velvet cupcakes are enough to shatter the strongest resolve. We didn’t call them Better Than Sex Red Velvet Cupcakes for nothing, and we’re sure you’ll agree once you’ve given them a try.

This post marks two very auspicious occasions. Firstly, it’s the 7th anniversary of the very first post that ever went live on Uncle Jerry’s Kitchen. Hooray us, we’ve been around a while! There have been ups and downs, but through it all, you’ve been there for us and we’re glad to have had you, so we wanted to share some delicious red velvet cupcakes with you as our way of saying thanks.

Secondly, this recipe was developed jointly with my wife Jessica (A.K.A. Dawn Montgomery) as a part of her recent novella, Hidden Confections (Red Velvet Christmas). It’s a steamy romance (Very steamy, as in don’t show the kids) involving a pastry chef, so she wanted a recipe included that was as decadent as the story.  We succeeded.

What makes these red velvet cupcakes better than all the others, you ask? The answer is simple. Ganache. they’re not only filled with it, but they’re frosted in it. Just take a look at the surprise that’s waiting inside these outrageous resolution killers:

Yes, these pillowy red velvet cupcakes are filled with luscious, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate ganache, frosted with whipped white chocolate ganache, then kissed with a touch of red sugar sprinkles. This is a dessert fit for the finest table, but we feel that it should be on every table, especially yours.

If you try these and don’t think they’re the most outrageous thing you’ve ever eaten, then you don’t have a sweet tooth. Even my usually steadfast aversion to sweets shattered absolutely under the spell cast by these gems. This might just be the most irresistible sweet I’ve ever eaten.

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Better Than Sex Red Velvet Cupcakes

Prep Time: 3 hours

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

We didn't call them Better Than Sex Red Velvet Cupcakes for nothing, and we're sure you'll agree that these chocolate-filled beauties are something you'll swoon for.

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Ingredients

For the ganache filling:

• 8 ounces dark chocolate chips
• ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
• ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder

For the White Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 ounces white chocolate baking bars, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Drambuie or other orange flavored liqueur (or a drop or two of orange extract)

For the cupcakes:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup room temperature buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 Tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Red Sugar Sprinkles, for decoration (Optional)

Instructions

For the ganache filling:

1. Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium low heat until just boiling. Remove from heat and immediately add chocolate and espresso powder.
2. Let stand 3 minutes, then stir until chocolate is completely melted and espresso powder is completely dissolved.
3. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely set. (About 2 hours)

For the White Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

1. Heat cream in a 1 small saucepan until just boiling (This is called scalding the cream.) Place white chocolate into a heatproof bowl and pour hot cream over chocolate. Allow to sit for approximately 3 minutes, then stir until smooth. Stir in Drambuie and refrigerate until extremely cold (approximately 1 1/2 hours), stirring occasionally. Mixture will be thin.
2. In a large bowl, beat cold chocolate mixture with an electric mixer on medium speed for about a minute or until chocolate begins to thicken. Switch to high speed and mix until stiff peaks form. (If it won’t go to stiff peaks, it’s not cold enough, place it back in the fridge for a half hour and continue beating.

For the cupcakes:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly with an electric mixer on low speed until all ingredients are combined.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients 1/4 at a time, mixing until completely incorporated before adding the next portion, scraping sides of the bowl frequently. Batter will be thick.
5. Place paper liners in muffin cups. Fill each cup about 1/4 full. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
6. Place a teaspoon sized ball of the chilled ganache in the center of each cup. Pour over batter until filling is completely covered and cup is 3/4 full.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 22 minutes, rotating pans once after 10 minutes. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted down the side of the cup comes out clean. (Do not test center of cupcake!)
8. Allow to cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. (About 1 hour.)
9. Transfer white chocolate ganache to a piping bag with an open star tip or to a zip-top plastic bag. (Cut one corner off the bag once sealed to allow piping. Top each cupcake with a generous amount of frosting and sprinkle with red sugar sprinkles if desired.
10. Share and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 375Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 178mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 1gSugar: 22gProtein: 3g

What we would have done differently had we thought of it at the time:

We’d have doubled the recipe. Yeah. or tripled it, maybe. You can always use more red velvet cupcakes in your life.

As I’ve said, these were a joint effort by the lovely and talented Dawn Montgomery and myself. The recipe was originally published in December of 2013 in the novella Hidden Confections (Red Velvet Christmas). Dawn created the Red Velvet cupcake recipe and I adapted my recipes for chocolate ganache and white chocolate mousse. The result is something so sinfully delicious that we doubt you’ll be able to hold back to just one or two, so be sure to have friends over when you make them!

Are these the best red velvet cupcakes ever made?

We think so, but it’s up to you to be the judge. Why not whip up a batch and find out for yourself why we called them “better than sex” red velvet cupcakes. We’re sure you’ll agree that if they aren’t better, they’re at least close.