Sunday, November 18, 2007

Chocolate Cupcakes

More chocolate cupcakes for my service auction donation this month...this month a double order, half frosted with chocolate and half with vanilla.


The cupcakes are from Martha Stewart and always work out perfectly. The chocolate frosting is from a recipe I found on Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. Both those recipes can be found here, from the last time I made these cupcakes. The vanilla frosting did not turn out as well as I'd hoped...it was just powdered sugar, butter, cream, milk, and vanilla, but I think I might have gotten the proportions wrong. It tasted good but didn't look amazing. All in all though, yum!

One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes
adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook
makes 24 cupcakes or a few more

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 c plus 2 T cake flour
1 1/4 c Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 1/2 c sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 large whole eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 c milk
1/2 c plus 2 T vegetable oil
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c warm water

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

Put the dry ingredients into a big bowl (flours, cocoa, sugar, soda, b. powder, salt). Whisk together, then add the eggs and yolk, milk, oil, vanilla, and water. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.

Divide batter among muffin tins, filling each 2/3 of the way full. Bake about 20 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Cool slightly, then remove from tins and cool fully.

If you don't have cake flour, you can substitute it with one cup of all purpose flour, but I think it makes them extra fluffy.

When they're fully cooled, make the most amazing frosting ever:

Chocolate Ganache Frosting
adapted slightly from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
3/4 c whipping cream
1/4 c butter at room temperature
2 c powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c whole milk
1 1/4 tsp vanilla

You can really use different combinations of chocolate based on what you have on hand--more unsweetened and bittersweet will make it darker, more semi-sweet will make it less dark. I don't think I'd use milk chocolate, though. In any case, chop up 8 oz. total of chocolate into small pieces and put in a heat-proof, microwave-proof bowl.

Heat up the cream, stirring occasionally, until bubbles form and break around the edges. Pour over the chocolate. Wait 1 minute, then stir until combined. You might need to microwave the bowl for about 15 seconds to make sure everything gets melted. Add the butter to the bowl and whisk until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, salt, milk, and vanilla. Whisk until everything is combined and there are no big lumps.

Add the sugar to the chocolate and whisk to combine, then let sit for about 10-15 minutes at room temperature until thickened.

Beat the frosting with an electric mixer until fluffy and a little lighter in color. If this doesn't happen easily, you might need to wait a few more minutes and try again.

Bring your favorite chocolate dessert to Roxana’s Home Baking#ChocolateParty and win amazing prizes from OXOCalphalonKeurigImperial SugarHoney Ridge Farms and Land O Lakes® Butter!

2 comments:

  1. Those look excellent. Remember a muffin is just a bald cupcake.

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