Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of Melted or Softened Grass Fed Unsalted Butter or Ghee
• 1 tsp. Organic Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Organic Coconut Sugar or Organic Brown Cane Sugar
• 2 Large Organic Pastured Eggs
• 1/2 cup of Organic Whole Milk, Organic Coconut Milk, or Grass Fed Cream
• 1 1/2 cups Organic Blanched Almond Flour or Organic "Sifted" Hazelnut Flour
  
• 1/4 cup Organic Unsweetened Cocoa Powder or Fermented Unsweetened Cacao Powder 
• 1 tsp. Pure Baking Soda
• 1 tsp. Aluminum Free Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Whipped Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 cup Grass Fed Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. of Organic Raw Honey
  
• Spash of Organic Vanilla

Tip 1:  I prefer to use honey over agave nectar because raw honey is much lower on the glycemic scale.

Tip 2:  You can either buy hazelnut flour or make your own at home (preferably using properly soaked and dried hazelnuts).

Remove the hazelnut skins and put them into a blender and blend until a nut flour forms.  Then sieve the flour for a better texture in your baked goods.

How to Remove Hazelnut Skin

Cupcake Instructions:

1. Whisk wet ingredients together in a big bowl.  Then whisk in the dry ingredients until you get a smooth consistency.
2. Use an ice cream scoop to transfer the cupcake batter into the individually lined cupcake pan.  Fill to 3/4 of the way full or just a little more.  Makes about 10 cupcakes.
   
3. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for approximately 20 minutes.  Transfer to cooling rack.
4. Be sure your chocolate cupcake recipes are completely cool before frosting them.
   

Whipped Frosting Instructions:

1. Whip the heavy cream using a stand mixer or use a hand mixer.
   
2. When cream starts to thicken, add your sweetener of choice and vanilla.  Beat on high speed until cream is ready to use as a frosting. 
   
3. Use a makeshift piping bag and pipe frosting in a circular motion onto cupcakes. 
   
4. Top with edible decorations.
   

Ganache Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups (300 grams) of Organic Whipping Cream or Heavy Cream (35% milk fat)
  
• 3 cups (600 grams) of Organic Dark Chocolate Chips

Instructions:

1. Heat cream - preferably in a double-boiler and bring to a bare simmer.
2. Add in the chocolate chips and stir until completely combined with the cream.
   
3. Remove from heat and let Ganache cool for a few minutes before using as a topping.
   

Tip 1:  Decorate by adding toasted nuts, toasted coconut, cocoa powder, sprinkles, etc. to your cupcake frosting.

You can use a Ganache recipe to pour over your chocolate cupcake recipes to give it that glossy look.  Or whip your Ganache recipe to create a fluffy lighter frosting that's great for piping.

Or keep your Ganache recipe at room temperature until it hardens to a spreadable frosting for your chocolate cupcake recipes.