red velvet & chocolate ganache bites

Move over, buttercream. I’ve found a new frosting love – whipped chocolate ganache. The rich truffle topping (a blend of semisweet and bittersweet chocolate) pairs nicely with my fluffy red velvet cake bites, creating a dessert your Valentine is sure to love! I like to place each bite in a mini muffin liner; a box filled with these bites would make a tempting alternative to the standard box of truffles.

Today I’m a guest post in a special Valentine’s Day celebration event hosted by the lovely Anna from Crunchy Creamy Sweet. Chocolate and coffee are Anna’s kitchen staples – she’s a baker after my own heart!

Please visit Crunchy Creamy Sweet to check out the fun interview questions Anna asked me, like why I started blogging and what’s on my blog bucket list this year!

Red Velvet & Chocolate Ganache Bites
1 3/4 cups flour
2 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa, sifted
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt, at room temperature
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp red gel food coloring
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Chocolate Ganache Frosting
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine buttermilk, yogurt, and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl.

Beat butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium-low and add vanilla and food coloring; beat until combined. Add eggs one at a time and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk mixture (begin and end with flour mixture). Beat just until smooth; pour batter into prepared baking dish and smooth with an offset spatula.

Bake for about 23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached and cake begins to pull away from edges of the pan. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Use a serrated knife to cut cake into 30 squares; place squares in mini muffin liners.

For the ganache frosting, combine chocolates in a small bowl. Pour cream into a saucepan and bring just to a boil over high heat; pour cream over chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Let ganache cool to room temperature, stirring often, for about 45 minutes. Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed for 2 to 4 minutes, until paler and fluffy. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe a star onto each cake square.

Yield – 30 cake bites (serving size: 1 bite)
Calories – 115
Carbs – 18

Tagged as: Chocolate, Ganache, Red Velvet, Valentine's Day