Which five year old girl wouldn't love a unicorn theme party with these amazing unicorn chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting filled with chocolate ganache? I made these cupcakes for my 5-year old goddaughter last weekend, because she was celebrating her name-day (in Greece except from our birthday, we also celebrate once a year our name!). Of course, she got crazy with these beautiful cupcakes!!

The cupcake itself, it's the perfect, delicious and moist chocolate cupcake. The filling is just a rich dark chocolate ganache (feel free to skip the filling if you do not like it). The frosting is a light and creamy cream cheese frosting with a small amount of whipped cream and the unicorn horns and ears are made of fondant. I did not have cupcake liners for unicorns, so I decided to draw with a glitter pen closed unicorn eyes with eyelashes on the cupcake liners after the cupcakes have been baked.

Start by making the chocolate cupcakes. The recipe is quite easy and it is borrowed from the Preppy Kitchen. I have tried many chocolate cupcake recipes, but I found that this is the ultimate one. The cupcake is moist, rich but still light and super delicious! The reason is the buttermilk and the oil used in this recipe instead of the regular milk and butter. Additionally, warm filtered coffee is used in order to enhance the chocolate flavour. Do not worry, the cupcakes will not end up tasting like coffee. However if you want to skip the coffee, fill free to replace it with warm water.

It is just a two bowl recipe. Start by sifting all the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in one large bowl. Whisk them together and set aside.

In a second large mixing bowl add the buttermilk, the greek yogurt, the vanilla extract the eggs and the oil and give a good whisk. Finally add the warm coffee and whisk well.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and whisk them just until incorporated. Do not over whisk, else you will end up with stiff cupcakes. Do not worry if there are still some little lumps in the cupcake batter.

Fill 18 paper cupcake liners 3/4 full with cupcake batter. I use one full ice-cream scoop for this purpose and I find that this is the proper amount of batter for a cupcake. Make sure that all the cupcakes have the same amount of batter for even baking. The paper cupcake liners I used in this recipe, do not need a muffin tin for baking, since they are strong enough to hold their shape while baking. Therefore I just placed them on a flat oven pan. However, if you are using the classic paper cupcake/muffin liners make sure to place them in a muffin pan before filling and baking. Place in preheated oven a 165°C (350°F) fan-forced on a rack placed in the middle of the oven. Bake for 15' - 20' or till a toothpick placed in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Let for 5' and then place the cupcakes on a wire rack and let them to cool completely at room temperature.

While the cupcakes are baking make the chocolate ganache. This is a classic chocolate ganache recipe with heavy cream - chocolate ratio 1:2 resulting a thick and rich chocolate ganache. Chop the dark chocolate in small pieces and place it in a small heatproof bowl. Place the heavy cream in a small saucepan and place over low-medium heat. Let the cream heat, but do not boil. Remove the cream from the heat as soon as small bubbles are starting to appear around the sides of the saucepan. Pour immediately the warm cream over the chocolate pieces. Let for 5' before starting to stir with a small spatula or a spoon, till the chocolate fully melts into the cream and forming a smooth and glossy ganache. As soon as the ganache cools completely, transfer to a piping bag cut with a small hole at the end.

Now it's time for making the frosting. This cream cheese frosting has a small amount of whipped cream. If your heavy whipping cream whips very quick to stiff picks you can add it to the cream cheese frosting at the very final step. If not (like the one I use), you should whip the cream before adding it into the frosting. To whip the cold cream beforehand, pour it in a bowl of your electric stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment start by beating on high speed and reduce to medium speed as soon as the first loose picks are formed. Keep beating on medium speed until stiff picks are formed. Do not over beat else your whipped cream will curdle. No matter, when you decide to whip the heavy whipping cream (separate or inside the frosting) make sure that is cold from the refrigerator.

In another clean bowl of your electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment add the cream cheese and beat in medium speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if needed. Add the vanilla extract and the first half cup of the sifted powder sugar. Beat in medium speed till incorporated and smooth. Add the whipped cream and beat just until airy and creamy (or add the cold heavy whipping cream gradually and beat on high speed until the frosting becomes thick enough to pipe). You can add more powdered sugar for taste or if your frosting is not thick enough to pipe. When adding more powdered sugar beat in high speed for few seconds till you get the frosting consistency and taste you like.

Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with open star tip and set aside till the cupcakes cool down completely.

Now it is time for assembling the cupcakes! If you were not able to find paper cupcake liners with unicorn eyes closed, now it is time to draw ones using a glitter pen (this is what I did!). Regarding the fondant unicorn horns and ears, make sure to make them a day ahead and let them at open air to dry completely.

As soon as the chocolate cupcakes have been completely cooled down at room temperature make a hole in the center of the cupcake using a knife or an apple corer. You can make the hole for the filling as deep as you like, but make sure not to penetrate the bottom of the cupcake. Fill up the hole in each cupcake with the chocolate ganache using a piping bag with a small hole at the bottom or a tea spoon.

Frost the cupcakes as desired. I used a piping bag with an open start tip. Sprinkle the frosted cupcakes with a pinch of sprinkles. Place gently one fondant unicorn horn at the top-center of the frosting of each cupcake. Make sure to place it as deep as needed in order to be stable. Finally place gently 2 fondant unicorn ears one at each side of the frosted cupcake. Again, make sure to place them as deeply needed in order to be stable. If you do have closed unicorn eyes on your cupcakes liners, make sure to center the unicorn ears and place them at the proper side of the cupcake.

The unicorn cupcakes are ready to be served! Enjoy!!

It is advised to place the fondant unicorn horns and ears, just before serving the cupcakes else they may become soggy in the frosting and collapse. Store any leftover cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.