Top Deck Cupcakes

No, I haven't misplaced my piping nozzles - I was going for the rustic look with these ones... which is surprisingly hard to do neatly. Funny that!
No, not really... I've been having some sense of humour issues... o_O

It's been one of those weeks:
Two failed recipes (still scraping the dregs of one of them off my cookie trays); chocolate with the sulks; humidity literally making sugar creations weep, and a virus (courtesy of the first week back at pre-school.)
Oh, the joys!
So, I wasn't expecting much from these cupcakes, especially the ganache - which I liked the sound of, but fully expected to separate at the addition of the cream cheese. But, it didn't. The week might be redeemed!

Here they are, courtesy of Yuppie Chef and Leigh who kind of insisted they be tea at Saturday's class ;o)

I'm an incorrigible fiddler when it comes to recipes. So if you want to see the original, find it here; but here's mine with some small changes:

Top Deck Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from Yuppie Chef

Chocolate Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 180'C
Line 2x muffin trays with cupcake cases

280g cake flour
2 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
15g unsweetened cocoa powder
200g brown sugar
2 XL eggs
200g dark chocolate, melted
180ml vegetable oil
250ml buttermilk
150ml sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt

Sift the cake flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda together in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
Mix in the melted chocolate, followed by the oil, buttermilk, vanilla and sour cream. Mix well.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, and pour in the egg/ chocolate mixture.
Use a figure of eight motion to mix the batter.
Divide amongst the prepared cupcake cases.

Bake at 180'C for approx. 18minutes - remove from the oven when a cake tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.

Remove from the muffin trays to cool.

Cream Cheese Ganache

360g white chocolate
120ml cream (you can use sour cream)
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
250g cream cheese

Melt the chocolate together with the cream and vanilla pod in a double boiler.
Remove from the heat when all the chocolate has just about melted, and stir until smooth.
Scrape out the seeds from half the vanilla pod, and mix into the ganache.
Allow to cool and set slightly. Stir often to prevent a skin forming on the surface of the ganache.

Beat the cream cheese to soften it, then slowly beat in the ganache. Mix until smooth.
Spread onto the cooled cupcakes.

Like most chocolate cakes, the flavour is even better on day 2 - if you can resist them that long...

Enjoy!

xxM

Black Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes

I wrote you a haiku.....


Such simple pleasures
Hidden, but bite revealed
In secret centres


Ok, I'll stick to baking : )

Have I mentioned before that I love secret centers?

Sometimes the combination of the flavors compliment each other so well, that it's just .....pure poetry!

I haven't made cupcakes with a hidden centre for a while, and when I made these chocolate cupcakes with their ingredient of apricot jam, it made me think about using preserves as a secret centre....and, there you go: black cherry chocolate cupcakes!

Black Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes
recipe by Tea, Cake and Create 


Cherry Flavoured Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

5 large egg whites
1cup + 2 TBS castor sugar
340g butter, cut into cubes, at room temp.
A couple of drops of cherry essence.
Dusty Rose or Soft Pink gel colour.

Put the egg whites and sugar into a mixing bowl, and place that over a suitable saucepan of simmering water. The bottom of the mixing bowl must not be in contact with the water, and the water should not be boiling.

Whisk constantly, until the sugar granules have dissolved and the mixture is hot to the touch.

Move off the stove, and to the mixer.
Using the whisk attachment, whip until it forms a thick and glossy meringue.

When the mixing bowl feels neutral to touch (ie, no longer hot), change over to the paddle attachment, and add the butter one cube at a time.
 It may curdle, but just keep whipping until it reaches a satiny smooth texture, and holds its shape.

Add the cherry essence - just a couple of drops, essences can easily become overpowering, and the colour.


Chocolate Cupcakes with Cherry Preserves

Pre-heat the oven to 180'C

Line 2 x 12 hole muffin pans with cupcake cases.

2 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1tsp baking powder
2 tsp bicarb
1 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup boiling water
1tsp vanilla extract (I use Vanilla Girl vanilla - just a few drops)

1 jar good quality black cherry jam /preserves

Sift together the dry ingredients.
Make a well in the middle then add the other ingredients. Beat well.

Use a scoop, or 1/3 cup measuring cup to pour the batter into the cupcake cases. (It is a very runny batter).

Bake at 180'C for approx. 20minutes.

Allow the cupcakes to cool.
Spoon the cherry preserves into a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle (eg an Ateco 802). Push the nozzle into the cupcake and squeeze in some jam.

Ice cupcakes with pretty pink cherry-flavoured SMB. Top each with a fresh cherry.

Notes:
Allow the cupcakes and their jam filling to get to know each other for an hour before you introduce them to your guests ; )
It gives them a little time to let the cherry flavour infuse into the chocolate cupcake.

I'm sure you could use a tablespoon of the cherry jam instead of the essence, but cherry essence is one of my favorite flavours, and well worth having in your  my cupboard.

I'll leave you with a haiku from a master:



A lovely spring night 
suddenly vanished while we 
viewed cherry blossoms

Matsuo Basho

xxM