These Chocolate Ganache Muffins are so delicious and can be eaten at many stages of the recipe. From the humble mawhene titipi tiakarete (chocolate chip muffin) to a fully decorated kapukeke (cupcake), how you make them is completely up to you. Let me know what you decide, I would love to know. 🙌
These were originally made for The Giving Series and were sent to a recipient of my baking so I decorated them with full flare. I made chocolate chip muffins, filled with a dreamy ganache and topped with a chocolate buttercream. However, you can make them as plain chocolate chip muffins or ones that are filled with a gooey ganache. What kind of baking vibe are you going for today?
More muffins recipes:
Want a mawhene (muffin) of a simpler nature? Then you must try these Brown Butter Vanilla Cupcakes. Or do you need a savoury version? Then make these Cheesy Savoury Muffins.
Videography and photography taken by Sarah Henderson.
Ingredient Tips for the Chocolate Ganache Muffins:
- Vinegar: I add vinegar to milk to make buttermilk in this recipe. Any vinegar will do but lemon juice works as well. If you want to replace the homemade buttermilk with the store bought version, go for it!
- Cocoa: I prefer to use dutch Cocoa in all of my cakes but this can be expensive so use what you have.
- Coffee powder: This helps lift the flavour of the cocoa in the cake. Use caffeinated or decaf.
- Oil: I use a neutral flavoured olive oil in this cake but again, use what you have. As long as it is neutral flavoured, it will work.
- Ground Almonds: The ground almonds in these muffins are to create moisture but can be omitted. If you take it out change the flour ratio to 1 ¾ cups.
- Chocolate Chips: Chocolate chips or drops work here but these can also be omitted.
- Dark chocolate: I like the depth of flavour that dark chocolate brings to this ganache and buttercream but use any chocolate you like.
EXPERT TIPS:
I made the muffins in 24 small cardboard cases in the video. These are wonderful to bake in (especially if you are giving the baking away) as they keep the muffins moist. However, you can also bake them in muffin tins, lined with paper liners which will yield 15 medium sized muffins.
Bake the mawhene (muffins) gently on 150 degrees celsius, this gentle heat creates an even bake of the muffins.
If your oven naturally runs hot or only has a fan bake setting, turn the oven down 20 degrees.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE MUFFINS:
Note: The full recipe card with the full list of ingredients, instructions and step by step video are found at the bottom of this page.
1. Preheat the Oven:
Preheat the oven to 150 °C bake setting or 140 °C fan bake setting.
Prepare a muffin tin with 15 - 18 liners, depending on what size you want.
If you are using the small cupcake cases like I did, add 24 cases to a flat tray with a little bit of space between each one.
2. Make Homemade Buttermilk:
Add the miraka (milk) and wai rēmana (lemon juice) or winika (vinegar) in to a large cup. Stir and leave aside so it turns in to buttermilk.
3. Mix the Cocoa and Sugar:
Add the kōkō (cocoa), paura kawhe (coffee powder), tote (salt) and wai wera (hot water) in to medium bowl. Koheritia kia māene (whisk it until smooth).
Add the huka one (caster sugar) and whisk again.
4. Whip in the Eggs and the Oil:
Add a hēki (egg) at a time and whisk well after each addition.
Drizzle in the noni (oil), the homemade miraka pata (buttermilk) and iho hūperei (vanilla essence) as you whisk continuously.
Leave the bowl to the side.
5. Prepare the Dry Ingredients:
To a large bowl, sift in the puehu parāoa (flour), peru oneone (almond meal), pēkana paura (baking powder) and pēkana houra (baking soda).
6. Add the Chocolate Mixture and Chocolate Chips:
Make a well in the middle of the sifted ingredients with a wooden spoon.
Pour in all of the chocolate mixture and whisk it for 30 seconds until it is smooth.
Fold through the titipi tiakarete (chocolate chips).
7. Divide the Mixture in to the Cases:
Add the batter to each cupcake case until they are ¾ full.
Once the cases are ready, tap the muffin tray on the bench 3 times to release any air bubbles and then place them in the oven.
8. Bake the Chocolate Ganache Muffins:
Bake for 20 - 22 minutes or until the mawhene (muffins) spring back when pressed in the centre.
Serve the Chocolate Ganache Muffins:
The mawhene (muffins) can be eaten just like this, warm from the oven with a little butter.
If this is where you end this recipe, store the cooled muffins in a sealed container like this for up to five day in a cool cupboard.
If you want to add the ganache, go to the next step.
10. Make the Chocolate Ganache Filling:
Pour around 4 cm of water in to the bottom of a medium pot. Bring it to a simmer over a low heat.
Add the tiakarete (chocolate), miraka (milk) and pata (butter) in to a heatproof bowl.
Place the bowl on top of the pot of simmering water.
Melt all of the ingredients together, stirring occasionally until smooth. Then remove it from the heat and set aside.
11. Cut the Centre of the Muffins:
Using a small, pointed knife, cut out the middle of each cupcake.
I like to cut it like a cone shape and cut off the tips which happen to make a delicious snack. 🤤
Keep the lids next to the cupcake it belongs to.
12. Pour the Ganache in to the Muffins:
Add a tablespoon or so of ganache in to each hole. Place the lids gently on top of each of the muffins.
Serve the Chocolate Ganache Muffins:
The cupcakes can be eaten gooey at this very moment!
If this is where you end this recipe, store the cooled muffins in a sealed container like this for up to five day in a cool cupboard.
If you want to add the buttercream, go to the next step.
13. Melt the Chocolate for the Buttercream:
Melt the tiakarete (chocolate) and miraka (milk) over a pot of barely simmering water as you did before. You can also do it in 10 second bursts in the microwave, stirring after each burst. Once melted and smooth, leave it to cool for 5 minutes.
14. Whip the Buttercream:
Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), puehu huka (icing sugar), kōkō (cocoa) and wanira (vanilla) in to a medium size bowl.
Whip on high for 4 - 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
Slowly add the cooled chocolate mixture a tablespoon at a time in to the butter as you continue to whip on medium speed.
15. Decorate the Chocolate Ganache Muffins:
Pipe or spread the pani reka tiakarete (chocolate buttercream) on to the cooled cupcakes.
Then top each one with some crushed cacao nibs and sliced coconut wafers for height and fun!
Serve the Muffins:
They are now ready to serve.
The decorated muffins will store in a sealed container for 3 -4 days in a cooled cupboard.
In the hotter months they can be kept in the fridge but bring them back to room temperature before serving them.
There are so many more
Keke (Cake) Recipes
So take a look at see which ones take your fancy!
DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE?
It would be so awesome if you could please leave a review/comment by clicking the “leave a comment” section at the top of the page.
I love seeing you all make my creations, so send a whakaahua (photo) or kiriata (video) to my Instagram and show me what you made. Let me know if you have any pātai (questions) too, I would love to help.
Chocolate Ganache Muffins
Ingredients
Chocolate Muffins - Ngā Mawhene Tiakarete
- ⅔ C (165 ml) miraka (milk)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) wai rēmana (lemon juice) or winika (vingar)
- ⅔ C (65 g) kōkō (cocoa)
- 1 teaspoon paura kawhe (instant coffee, optional but this helps amp up the chocolate flavour)
- ½ teaspoon tote (salt, fine)
- ½ C (125 ml) wai wera (hot water, boiled)
- 1 C (220 g) huka one (caster sugar)
- 2 hēki iti (small eggs, size 6)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) iho hūperei (vanilla essence)
- ⅔ C (165 ml) noni (oil, neutral oil, I use rice bran)
- 1 ⅓ C (190 g) puehu parāoa noa (plain flour)
- ⅔ C (70 g) peru oneone (ground almonds)
- 1 teaspoon pēkana paura (baking powder)
- ¼ teaspoon pēkana houra (baking soda)
- ¾ C (170 g) titipi tiakarete (chocolate chips, you can add less of these if you want or omit them completely)
Chocolate Ganache - Te Kīrimi Tiakarete
- 150 g tiakarete (I used 60% dark chocolate but use what you prefer)
- ¼ C miraka (milk)
- 50 g pata (butter)
Chocolate Buttercream - Pani Reka Tiakarete (Optional)
- 100 g tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate)
- 2 tablespoon (30 ml) miraka (milk)
- 125 g pata kūteretere (softened butter)
- ⅓ C (55 g) puehu huka (icing sugar)
- 3 tablespoon (20 g) kōkō (cocoa)
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) wanira (vanilla)
Instructions
Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat the oven to 150 °C bake setting or 140 °C fan bake setting.
- Prepare a muffin tin with 15 - 18 liners, depending on what size you want.
- If you are using the small cupcake cases like I did, add 24 cases to a flat tray with a little bit of space between each one.
Make Homemade Buttermilk:
- Add the miraka (milk) and wai rēmana (lemon juice) or winika (vinegar) in to a large cup. Stir and leave it aside so it turns in to buttermilk.
Mix the Cocoa and Sugar:
- Add the kōkō (cocoa), paura kawhe (coffee powder), tote (salt) and wai wera (hot water) in to medium bowl. Koheritia kia māene (whisk it until smooth).
- Add the huka one (caster sugar) and whisk again. The will start to cool down and loosen in this process.
Whip in the Eggs and the Oil:
- Add a hēki (egg) at a time and whisk well after each addition.
- Drizzle in the noni (oil), the homemade miraka pata (buttermilk) and iho hūperei (vanilla essence) as you whisk continuously.Leave the bowl to the side.
Prepare the Dry Ingredients:
- To a large bowl, sift in the puehu parāoa (flour), peru oneone (almond meal), pēkana paura (baking powder) and pēkana houra (baking soda).
Add the Chocolate Mixture and Chocolate Chips:
- Make a well in the middle of the sifted ingredients with a wooden spoon.
- Pour in all of the chocolate mixture and whisk it for 30 seconds until it is smooth.
- Fold through the titipi tiakarete (chocolate chips).
Divide the Mixture in to the Cases:
- Add the batter to each cupcake case until they are ¾ full.
- Once the cases are ready, tap the muffin tray on the bench 3 times to release any air bubbles and then place them in the oven.
Bake the Chocolate Ganache Muffins:
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the mawhene (muffins) spring back when pressed in the centre.
Serve the Chocolate Ganache Muffins:
- The mawhene (muffins) can be eaten just like this, warm from the oven with a little butter. If this is where you end this recipe, store the cooled muffins in a sealed container like this for up to five day in a cool cupboard.
- If you want to add the ganache, go to the next step.
Make the Chocolate Ganache Filling:
- Pour around 4 cm of water in to the bottom of a medium pot. Bring it to a simmer over a low heat, you don't want a wild boil here, just a smooth simmer.
- Add the tiakarete (chocolate), miraka (milk) and pata (butter) in to a heatproof bowl.
- Place the bowl on top of the pot of simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water.
- Melt all of the ingredients together, stirring occasionally until smooth. Then remove it from the heat and set aside.
Cut the Centre of the Muffins:
- Using a small, pointed knife, cut out the middle of each cupcake. I like to cut it like a cone shape and cut off the tips which happen to make a delicious snack. 🤤 Keep the lids next to the cupcake it belongs to.
Pour the Ganache in to the Muffins:
- Add a tablespoon or so of ganache in to each hole. Place the lids gently on top of each of the muffins.
Serve the Chocolate Ganache Muffins:
- The cupcakes can be eaten gooey at this very moment!If this is where you end this recipe, store the cooled muffins in a sealed container like this for up to five day in a cool cupboard.
- If you want to add the buttercream, go to the next step.
Melt the Chocolate for the Buttercream:
- Melt the tiakarete (chocolate) and miraka (milk) over a pot of barely simmering water as you did before. You can also do it in 10 second bursts in the microwave, stirring after each burst. Once melted and smooth, leave it to cool for 5 minutes.
Whip the Buttercream:
- Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), puehu huka (icing sugar), kōkō (cocoa) and wanira (vanilla) in to a medium size bowl.
- Whip on high for 4 - 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add the cooled chocolate mixture a tablespoon at a time in to the butter as you continue to whip on medium speed.
Decorate the Chocolate Ganache Muffins:
- Pipe or spread the pani reka tiakarete (chocolate buttercream) on to the cooled cupcakes.
- Then top each one with some crushed cacao nibs and sliced coconut wafers for height and fun!
Serve the Muffinns:
- They are now ready to serve.
- The decorated muffins will store in a sealed container for 3 -4 days in a cooled cupboard. In the hotter months they can be kept in the fridge but bring them back to room temperature before serving them.
Amy
Made a GF version and they turned out beautifully! Soft and moist. My non GF husband approves and says they're incredible.
Just substituted the flour for plain GF flour and added in 1/4 tsp of Xanthum gum.
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
Wow Amy that is so cool to know - I love that sub and it is so awesome to hear that you enjoyed them! Thank you so much!