The Perfect Cupcake

This past August, I created the perfect cupcake. I'm really not sure how I'm ever going to top it. Everything about this cupcake went right ... and that's saying a lot. Usually my creations turn into lessons of what not to do. This one was different.

I decided to make a Mint/Chocolate cupcake. Honestly, peanut butter and chocolate is my favorite combination ... but this was perfect.

I started off by just making some chocolate cupcakes. I then decided to make dark chocolate ganache for the first time. I found a pretty easy recipe and got right to work (I have since found an even easier and still quite yummy dark chocolate ganache recipe). Then I melted down some chocolate chips, added some shortening, and made a big chocolate bar in a loaf pan lined with foil. Finally, I made my regular buttercream, but this time I added some mint extract and a little bit of green coloring. The icing was perfect ... the perfect color and just the right amount of mint flavoring.

Once the cupcakes and ganache had time to cool and the chocolate bar had time to harden, it was time to assemble. I filled each cupcake with ganache and made a beautiful swirl on top with the mint icing. To really make it pop, I took a potato peeler and used it on the chocolate bar to make chocolate curls, which I placed on top. Not only did they look perfect, but they had the most perfect blend of mint and chocolate.

Did I mention that these cupcakes were perfect?

Here they are ... in all of their perfectness.