cupcake

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

2017, baking, celebrations, family

The answer to S’s request for chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting for her birthday party…and don’t forget the sprinkles!

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated:  Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Filling
Ingredients
Ganache Filling:

  • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (see note) 
  • ¼ cup heavy cream 
  • 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Chocolate Cupcakes: Makes about 16 cupcakes

  • 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine 
  • 1/3 cup (1 ounce) Dutch-processed cocoa 
  • 1/2 cup hot water 
  • ¾ cup AP flour 
  • ¾ cup (5¼ ounces) granulated sugar 
  • ½ teaspoon table salt 
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil 
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/4 c buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

Frosting:

  • ¼ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • ¾ cup light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces chocolate (milk, semisweet or dark), melted and cooled

Preparation
Ganache Filling:
Place-chocolate, cream, and confectioners’ sugar in medium -microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high power until mixture is warm to touch, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth; transfer bowl to refrigerator and let stand until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.

Chocolate Cupcakes:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-sized muffin pan (cups have ½-cup capacity) with baking-cup liners. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour water over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Whisk flour, sugar and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.
Whisk oil, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.

In a small bowl, combine the  baking soda and vinegar, then stir into the batter.
Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon ganache filling on top of each cupcake. Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.

Frosting:  In a food processor, process the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and salt until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the corn syrup and vanilla extract and process until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy, 10 to 15 one-second pulses. Frost the cupcakes as desired. The frosted cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

 

Celebrating Baby with Strawberry Dream and Lemon Curd Cupcakes!

2013, celebrations, cooking, entertaining, family, friends

Last week, my sister threw my a very BIG baby shower!  There were about 45 people at our house, and our little girsl got some many cute gifts!  I think that she acquired enough clothes and bath accessories to last for an entire year!  A great idea my sister had was for the guests to gift a children’s book.  The perfect way to start her library.

Strawberry Dream Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

For the Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix
1/2 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
6 oz Greek strawberry yogurt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup finely diced fresh strawberries

In a bowl, whisk together cake mix and vanilla pudding.  Add yogurt, water, oil, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl.  You may also add a few drops of red food coloring to the wet indredients if you are looking for that bubbegum pink color.  Whisk to combine.  Add wet ingredients with dry ingredients until well combined.  Fold in strawberries.  Scoop into cupcake tins.  Bake at 350 degrees until puffed and slightly browned (about 35 minutes). Make sure that it is well baked, otherwise, the cake will collapse once out of the oven.

For the Frosting, in a mixer, combine

1 stick butter, room temperature

1 block of cream cheese softened

2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

powdered sugar to taste (about 1 1/2-2 cups)

1/4 cup fresh strawberry puree

Yields 2 dozen cupcakes

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups cake flour
lemon zest of 2 lemons
1 T lemon juice
1 T baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
4 egg whites

Jar lemon curd
Powdered sugar for dusting

Combine sugar and lemon zest,rubbing the mixture through your fingers to release oils from the lemon zest
Inn another bowl, sift dry ingreients
Combine milk and egg whites in another bowl
In the mixer, beat sugar and butter for about 3 minutes on medium speed
Add a third of the flour mixture, then add half of the milk mixture, beat until incorporated.
Add the second third of the dry ingredients, followed by the remaining milk mixture, followed by the last of the flour mixtre.
Beat for another 2 minutes to combine well and aerate

Place in muffin tins (2 dozen) and bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes (they will not brown) until springy and clean in the center when pierced by a toothpick.

Allow to cool completely, then sift powdered sugar over the cupcakes.
Using a pastry tip, fill the middle of the cupcakes and the center of the top of the cupcake with lemon curd