Chocolate Cupcakes with Chestnut Honey

These chocolate cupcakes with chestnut honey pair a soft sponge, partly sweetened with chestnut honey, with a honey chocolate ganache piped in a dome, then a drizzle of honey poured just before serving. Chestnut honey, dark and slightly bitter, extends the taste of the cocoa without making it heavier or sweeter. Allow 30 minutes of preparation, 20 minutes of baking at 180 °C and time for the ganache to cool.

Method

1. Make the ganache Start with the ganache. Chop the chocolate and place it in a bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer, pour it over the chocolate, wait 1 minute, then stir gently from the centre outwards until smooth. Add the chestnut honey and butter, stir, cover with cling film touching the surface and leave to cool for about 1 h 30 at room temperature, until it has the texture of soft butter.
2. Preheat and line the tin Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line the tin with paper cases.
3. Melt the butter and honey Melt the butter with the chestnut honey over a low heat, without letting it boil, then leave to cool slightly.
4. Whisk the wet ingredients In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the lukewarm honey butter, then the milk, whisking all the time.
5. Mix in the dry ingredients Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda over the bowl, add the salt and mix just enough to obtain a smooth, even batter.
6. Fill the cases and bake Divide the batter between the paper cases, filling them two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes: a knife blade should come out dry or with a few moist crumbs.
7. Cool completely Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack. Ganache placed on a cake that is still warm would melt.
8. Decorate the cupcakes Briefly whisk the ganache to loosen it, fill the piping bag and pipe a dome onto each cupcake. Just before serving, drizzle a little chestnut honey over each one.

Which honey should you choose?

Chestnut honey harvested in Provence is the best match for chocolate: its dark colour, woody notes and slight bitterness go well with cocoa and keep their character after baking. Forest honey, maltier and rounder, gives slightly milder cupcakes. To learn more about chestnut honey, read our article on chestnut honey. Avoid very delicate honeys in the batter: their fragrance disappears behind the chocolate.

Tips and variations

• Honey makes the sponge moister but makes it colour faster than sugar: do not go above 180 °C and keep an eye on the end of baking.
• If the ganache has set too firm, warm it for a few seconds over a warm water bath, stirring; if it is too runny, put it in the fridge for 10 minutes.
• For a soft centre, hollow out the middle of the cooled cupcakes slightly and fill with a teaspoon of ganache before piping the dome.
• A pinch of fleur de sel on the ganache lifts the chocolate and honey.
• For one large cake rather than individual portions, try our honey cake.

Storage

Cupcakes topped with ganache keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge, in an airtight container, because the ganache contains cream. Take them out 30 minutes before serving so that the ganache softens again. Add the drizzle of honey at the last moment: in the fridge it thickens and loses its glossy, runny look. Without ganache, the cupcakes freeze well for up to a month.

Frequently asked questions

Can you replace all the sugar with honey in chocolate cupcakes?

It is possible, but the batter becomes moister and colours faster. By keeping some sugar, as here, you get a lighter crumb and more even baking.

Why pair chestnut honey with chocolate?

Chestnut honey is dark, woody and slightly bitter. These notes extend those of the cocoa, whereas a very floral honey would be masked by the chocolate.

How do you know when the cupcakes are done?

After 18 to 20 minutes at 180 °C, insert a knife blade into the centre of a cupcake: it should come out dry or with a few moist crumbs, but with no liquid batter.

Can you make the cupcakes the day before?

Yes. Bake the cupcakes the day before and keep them in an airtight container, then make the ganache on the day or keep it covered in the fridge. Pipe the ganache and add the honey just before serving.