Ganache Cupcakes

Okay, okay.  It's only December and last night I got a little antsy and made some Valentines-esque cupcakes.  But I wanted something chocolatey and rich, and I get a little trigger happy when it comes to Valentines Day because it's also my birthday-- it's a lot to look forward to.

These cupcakes I made just for fun.  I decided to try something new so I tweaked a chocolate cake recipe to make it a dark chocolate raspberry cake instead.  Then I topped it with a semisweet chocolate ganache, which is very rich and not too sweet-- the perfect icing for a chocolate lover.  To finish them off I placed some red candy hearts I piped out on top.  I think these look very, very pretty with the shiny ganache and the organic looking hearts.  Perfect for someone's sweetheart.  I'm sure I'll be making a lot more of these come February...