Saturday, July 03, 2010

Me Versus Chocolate: Me Wins

The cupcakes were a hit, and I hope so because they take a lot of prep. A lot of prep for me, that is. Here are a few photos along my journey. And by the way, these are Martha Stewart cupcakes, so you can expect the best.

First, the cupcakes, which are Devil's Food made with a cocoa solution (I like to call it that), butter, white sugar, eggs, sour cream, flour, the usual powder and soda, vanilla, salt and love.

I started making a mess early...

...but found time to clean between majors. For example, I made the cocoa solution first (hot water whisked with cocoa powder), got the butter and sugar melting...

...then cleaned up what I'd messed up to that point.

Once the butter-sugar mix is melted (yum)...

...you drink it all. Just kidding. You dump it in a mixing bowl and beat on medium-low speed until cooled (4-6 minutes). Oooooh, the smell. Reminds me of the movies, all that butter.

While that's mixing, put together your dry mix and measure out a cup of room-temperature sour cream. Oh, your 4 eggs should be sitting out too. Room temperature, people. Aaaand the oven is pre-heating to something. ;)

Once the mixture is cooled, mix in 1 heaping Tbsp vanilla and one egg at a time, each until combined. Then the cocoa solution. Mmm... Love watching it swirl together. Wish I had a pic.

Turn the beating speed to low and mix in half the dry mix, the sour cream, and the rest of the dry mix, each until combined. Then pour that yummy mixture into 32 lined muffin tins and eat at least a quarter cup yourself before washing out the mixing bowl. (Fill each cup 3/4 full.)


They'll turn out like this. (Can you tell I had too much fun taking pictures?)


I was lucky enough to be gifted with three wire cooling racks when we married. I love them and use them often. Once the cupcakes have entirely cooled, you can start thinking about making the ganache frosting. Then you can start making it.

Pour a pound or so of yummy chocolate into a heat-proof bowl.


Heat lots of heavy whipping cream and a quarter cup ligh corn syrup over med-high heat until just simmering and poor the mixture over the chocolate (whilst singing, "There is no life I know that compares with pure imagination...")...

...and stir...

...(you're walking into the candy room, the chimes are chiming)...

...(you're walking the steps with Willy Wonka and just about to crunch into a lemon flower cup)...

...(aaaaaand, chocolate river).

"Do not over stir."

Unfortunately, I tried frosting the cakes too early. This was was a bit runny. But still delicious.


A couple more runs of cooling and stirring, and we were ready.


Pure deliciousness.


I had a lot of fun dipping the cakes into a bowl of chocolate, colored sprinkles. They didn't cover entirely but with the swirls of frosting. Delightful.

Now if only I'd taken them to a party of youths instead of a party of adults. They would have been eaten. (I think we brought at least a dozen back home, AFTER leaving at least a dozen at the party.) Ah well. More for me!

3 comments:

ComplyKated said...

That frosting alone looks like it's to die for. Yum.

Kyle Dixon said...

this adult would have had at least one. yum.

Jess said...

I think I at at least a dozen!! omg...so amazing!