Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

chocolate ganache cupcakes with cherry cheesecake

(2 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Didi Dalaba
Greece, NY

My daughter and I created these luscious beauties on Saturday in preparation for our Father's Day gathering. They are amazingly moist, chocolaty, and decadent!! With just the right amount of richness without them being overpowering, and the milk chocolate ganache? Oh, my heaven's... we will leave it at that!! Next, add the cherry cheesecake?? *insert bells* What we love about them, even more, is the simplicity and ease of this recipe by using a boxed cake mix and no-bake cheesecake mix.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

These cupcakes are a delicious Valentine's Day treat, but they're so good you'll want to make them year around. Fluffy and moist, the cupcakes are just as delicious as they look. They're full of chocolate flavor. Pour a glass of milk or brew a cup of coffee and enjoy.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(2 ratings)
yield 24 serving(s)
prep time 1 Hr 30 Min
cook time 20 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For chocolate ganache cupcakes with cherry cheesecake

  • 1 box
    cake mix, Devils Food
  • 1 c
    plain Greek yogurt, 8 oz
  • 1 pkg
    No-Bake Jell-o Cheesecake mix
  • 1 pkg
    milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 c
    milk
  • 6-8
    maraschino cherries, patted dry

How To Make chocolate ganache cupcakes with cherry cheesecake

  • Cherry cheesecake filling prepared.
    1
    Prepare your no-bake cheesecake filling. Follow instructions on package regarding milk and setting time. While cheesecake is setting, open up your package of cherries, place in a bowl, and using a very, very sophisticated method "aka a fork", scoop out the big pieces of cherries and discard. Reason we do this is that the bigger pieces of cherries will not pipe thru, it will clog your tip. When cheesecake filling is set, fold in your cherries and set in fridge until ready to use.
  • Cupcakes cooling on a wire rack.
    2
    Prepare cake mix according to baking directions substituting the "oil" in the recipe and adding the yogurt instead. Yogurt really enhances a recipe by literally allowing it to be denser but still keeping it very moist. This was exactly the flavor and consistency we were aiming for... a dense, moist piece of goodness!! Place liners in your cupcake tins and add your cake mixture till the cups are 2/3 full. Place in pre-heated oven and bake. When cupcakes are ready, take out and place on cooling rack. After a few minutes, remove the cups and place directly on cooling rack, let cool thoroughly (about 35-45 minutes).
  • Holes cut into the cupcake.
    3
    Once cupcakes have cooled, use your favorite gadget to make holes into the center of each cupcake. Even though I recently purchased a cupcake plunger, I reverted back to my citrus corer. It makes just the right size hole... does that make sense? Maybe I'm just old fashioned!! ;-) Save your plugs. Using a pastry bag and a 21 tip (Wilton), scoop out 1/2 of your cherry cheesecake filling. Place in bag and proceed to fill cupcakes until almost to the top, see below.
  • Cheesecake filling added and holes plugged.
    4
    Proceed to plug the filling with the cake plugs you just removed. You will probably have to cut some away because of the now filled cupcakes. You won't need the entire plug.
  • Cupcakes dipped in the ganache.
    5
    Prepare your ganache. Using a microwave-safe bowl, add your chocolate chips and milk. Microwave in 30-second increments stirring thoroughly with whisk after each time. You will see the chocolate ganache become nice and glossy and smooth. This is when you know it's ready. Note, ganache thickens upon standing. So, you can frost them two ways; you can dip the top of the cupcakes into the ready-made more thinner ganache, wait a few minutes and then double dip. Or you can wait a few minutes till the sauce has thickened a little bit and then dip once. That is my preferred method (you know I'm about easy right)? Place on cooling rack and let the ganache set for a few minutes.
  • Adding a dab of cheesecake filling on top with a cherry.
    6
    Gather your maraschino cherries and the remainder of your cheesecake filling in the pastry bag. Place a small swirl of filling onto the center of each cupcake and then add a quartered maraschino cherry on top! Enjoy!!
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