Wednesday, 22 February 2012

• The Hostess With The Mostest

  

  Can you guess where I got the inspiration for these cupcakes? This might sound cheesy (but admittedly, probably not more than the title for this), but I got the idea for these after I opened up my pantry and saw a box of the familiar chocolate cupcakes with the white squiggle on top and the overly sweet cream centers. And, fun fact: the "cream" used to fill the cupcakes is actually made with Crisco, not real cream.

  Yum. My version of the famous sweet treat is filled with vanilla mousse and raspberry preserves. A pretty tasty combination when combined with the rich chocolate cake and chocolate ganache on top, if I do say so myself. The mousse is pretty sweet though, so I removed 1/2 cup of sugar from the cake batter to balance it out, but I might remove a whole 1 cup the next time I make these. But that's just my tastes. I definitely recommend trying the mousse after you've made it and then trying the batter before adding the whole amount of sugar stated in the recipe. 

  The Ingredients (makes about 2 dozen):

  For the cupcakes:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup water
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sour cream

  For the filling:

  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • raspberry preserves

  For the frosting:

  • 3 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch

   

  The Directions:

  1. Start with the filling first. Whip the heavy cream, vanilla and half of the sugar until soft peaks form. Set aside.

  2. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Then add the rest of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

  3. Carefully fold the egg mixture into the whipped cream until combined. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours to allow the mousse to firm up (I made this the night before making the cupcakes).

  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line your cupcake pan(s).

  5. Bring the butter and water to a simmer and then whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

  6.  Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

  7.  Beat eggs and sour cream together until combined.

  8. Gradually add the cocoa mixture to the eggs, constantly mixing so that you don't scramble the eggs.

  9. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet.

  10. Fill cupcake cups (I filled them somewhere between 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up) and bake for about 12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Rotate halfway through to ensure even baking.

  11. Once the cupcakes are cool, core out the middle, being careful to keep the cores intact as you will need them to close up the hole later. Set aside.

  12. Put a layer of raspberry preserves into each cupcake and follow with a spoonful of vanilla mousse. Replace the tops of the cupcakes to prepare for the ganache frosting.

  13. Dissolve the corn starch into the heavy cream first to avoid clumping. Then, in a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips and heavy cream together and stir until smooth.

  14. Apply a layer of the ganache on top of each cupcake and allow to cool completely before serving or decorating.

  15. Consume and enjoy!

  • 12:30 PM
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