Daily Cupcake Recipe

Recipe for Saturday, September 10th, 2011:
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Chambord Ganache

Recipe via Baker’s Royale

Prep time: unknown
Bake time: 20 minutes

Serves: 12 cupcakes and 6 cups frosting

Ingredients [Dark Chocolate Cupcakes]:

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
• 1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa (1 1/2 ounces)
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (3 3/4 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla powder
• 3/4 sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• 1/2 sour cream (4 ounces)

Ingredients [Chocolate Chambord Ganache]:

• 1.5 lbs of bittersweet chocolate (61% cacao)
• 3 cups heavy cream pint heavy whipping cream
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup of Chambord (or your favorite liqueur)

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-sized muffin pan (cups have 1/2-cup capacity) with baking-cup liners.

Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogenous and thick.

Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.

Make frosting: In a food processor, process the chocolate until very fine. In a medium saucepan over medium heat bring cream to a soft boil (look for small bubbles to form at the edge of saucepan). With the motor on pour the cream through the feed tube. Process for approximately 10 seconds or until smooth. Pulse in the butter. With the motor running add the Chambord. Press the ganache through a strainer and let stand for 1hour. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the mixture to cool for several hours until it reaches frosting consistency.

Mound about 2 tablespoons icing on center of each cupcake. Using small icing spatula or butter knife, spread icing to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.

Recipe for Wednesday, June 1st, 2011:
Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

Recipe via Betty Crocker

Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 20-25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Serves: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients [Cupcakes]:

• 1 cup Gold Medal® self-rising flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter or regular butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups hazelnut spread with cocoa (16 oz)
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk

Ingredients [Ganache]:

• 6 oz bittersweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or regular butter
• 4 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Heat oven to 325°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size nonstick muffin cups.

In small bowl, stir together flour and salt; set aside.

In large bowl, beat 1/4 cup softened butter with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and the almond extract; beat until light and fluffy. Add hazelnut spread; beat until well blended, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs; beat until smooth.

Add half of the flour mixture; beat on low speed just until blended. Add milk; beat until blended. Gently stir in remaining flour until batter is smooth.

Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups, filling each half full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan, about 30 minutes.

Make ganache: Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, 3 tablespoons butter and the corn syrup on High 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla.

Top cooled cupcakes with ganache topping. Sprinkle with hazelnuts.

Recipe for Friday, May 13th, 2011:
Black Forest Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Glaze

Recipe via Martha Stewart

Prep time: unknown
Bake time: 20 minutes

Serves: 32 cupcakes

Ingredients [Cupcakes]:

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tins
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for tins
• 2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 jar (12 ounces) preserved cherries in light syrup
• 2 tablespoons kirsch (cherry-flavored brandy)

Ingredients [Pastry Cream]:

• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Ingredients [Chocolate Ganache Glaze]:

• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions [Pastry Cream]:

Whisk egg yolks until smooth in a large bowl. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan, and heat over medium. Stirring constantly, gradually add milk in a slow, steady stream, and cook until mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.

Whisking constantly, slowly pour one third of the milk mixture into egg yolks (this step is called tempering, which keeps the yolks from curdling). Pour mixture into remaining milk mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil and is thick enough to hold its shape when lifted with a spoon, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl. Cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap, pressing it directly on surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).

Directions [Cupcake]:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush standard muffin tins with butter; dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Add brown sugar, and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well incorporated and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in sour cream. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and mixing until just combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until tops are firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

To finish, drain cherries, reserving 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons syrup. Cut each cherry in half. Combine reserved syrup and kirsch in a small bowl. Using a serrated knife (and a gentle sawing motion), split cupcakes in half horizontally. Brush both cut sides with kirsch mixture. Arrange halved cherries over cupcake bottoms; spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon pastry cream evenly over cherries. Replace top halves.

Make frosting: Place chocolate in a medium-size heatproof bowl. Bring cream and corn syrup just to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; pour mixture over chocolate. Let stand, without stirring, until chocolate begins to melt. Using a flexible spatula, gently stir chocolate and cream until totally combined; begin near the center of the bowl and gradually work your way toward the edge, pulling in as much chocolate as possible, until the mixture is smooth and glossy. (If any chocolate pieces remain, strain mixture through a fine sieve and discard solids.)

Shiny chocolate glaze variation: Reduce amount of chocolate to 2 ounces. After pouring mixture over chocolate, let mixture stand 5 minutes before slowly whisking until smooth and combined. Use immediately, without straining

Spoon 2 tablespoons glaze over tops. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.