Chocolate cupcakes with truffle and cream cheese frosting

Ingredients:

Chocolate cupcakes

• 2 cups premium flour
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp Chinese wuxianmian 5 spice seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup of milk with 1.5-2% fat content, room temperature
• 3/4 cup strong coffee, cooled to room temperature
• 0.5 cups vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon truffles

• 115 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 0.5 cup whipping cream (30-35%)
• 2 cinnamon sticks

Curd cream

• 230 g of cream cheese, room temperature
• 0.5 cups butter, room temperature
• 3.5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 85 g of chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled

Preparation:

1. Cinnamon trufflesPlace the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream and cinnamon sticks over medium-low heat for 5 minutes to allow the cream to absorb the flavor. Remove the cinnamon and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute. Stir gently until the chocolate melts, then refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 160°C and line a 24-cup muffin tin with large paper muffin cups.
3. Cupcakes: sift flour through a sieve together with sugar, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, wuxianman "5 spices" seasoning, baking soda, and salt. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, stir the flour mixture for a few seconds until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then add the milk, coffee, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract (the oil will rise to the top). Add this mixture to the flour bowl and mix at low speed, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. The dough will be very wet.
5. Pour the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a rack or wire rack to cool completely.
6. To fill the truffle cupcakes, use a watermelon baller to scoop out a portion of the top of each cupcake. Dip the same scoop in warm water and scrape a roughly equal-sized ball from the bowl of cinnamon truffles. Gently press the ball into the cupcake.
7. Curd creamBeat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat, first on low speed, then on high, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Set half the mixture aside in a separate bowl. Stir in the melted chocolate.
8. Prepare a large pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Using a spoon, fill one side of the bag with vanilla frosting and the other side with chocolate frosting. Pipe a small amount of frosting to mix the two colors and create a swirl effect, then pipe a swirl onto each cupcake. Chill the cupcakes for at least 1 hour before serving. Cupcakes are best served chilled and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days..