Dark Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes

I hope I never run out of ways to put as much chocolate as possible in a cupcake, because… let’s be real here… chocolate makes everything a million times better. And if you follow me on Instagram or know me at all, you have to know that coffee and chocolate are two things I absolutely refuse to live without, so combine them into a cupcake and I’m SO there. And I should mention – we’re not going weak on either one here. We’re talking rich chocolate cupcakes with a serious coffee kick; this is real business.

I should probably just admit that the extent of my celebrating Valentine’s Day is making cupcakes with sweet sayings on them, which basically means that I celebrated V-day in January. But really, I can only imagine it getting much better if someone made these cupcakes for me, because THAT would be like the ultimate show of love. (I mean maybe throw in some flowers, but really, chocolate comes first.) — And by that logic, since I gave most of these away in an effort to prevent myself from eating them all, I’ve already shown quite a few people I love them. :)

So I’m kinda obsessed with the cuteness of Ghirardelli’s new Valentine’s Day Impressions, and for that reason alone I HAD to make these cupcakes. I’m all for cupcakes that are a little more exciting than your basic cake + frosting duo, and I couldn’t think of a better way to make use of these cute little chocolates than put them on top of an already extra-chocolatey cupcake, so the idea for these came together pretty quickly. The good news is that they turned out better than I even hoped; whipped espresso ganache is officially one of the best forms of frosting ever, and Valentine’s chocolate toppers + raw sugar definitely takes a cupcake to the next level.

I’ve been using Ghirardelli chocolate since I started this blog,  back when nobody even knew it existed and the extent of my baking repertoire was a good chocolate chip cookie, and it’s hands-down one of the most essential ingredients in my pantry. This is all to say: I’m 100% a supporter of their products and LOVE the depth and complexity their dark chocolate adds to these cupcakes. The cupcakes start out with a chocolate-espresso cake base — heavy on the good-quality cocoa and espresso to really bring out the flavors — and then a super-intense whipped chocolate espresso ganache (made with Ghirardelli’s 60% cacao baking chips) is piped on top. The chocolate is one of my favorites because it’s nice and bittersweet, and it literally creates the silkiest, smoothest ganache I could ever dream of. Can you tell I’m in love yet?? Because I am. ♡

The best thing about these cupcakes is that even though they’re really perfect for any occasion (like alldayeverydayforeverandever), it’s super easy to dress them up with the Ghirardelli Impressions – which are like little conversation hearts in the form of CHOCOLATE – and turn them into a sweet Valentine’s Day treat. Because if anything says I love you… it’s gotta be chocolate. ;)

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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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