Birthday cake
As I put the little white swirls on the top of the cupcakes, Joel walked by, looked at what I was doing, shook his head a little and said “You really do take everything to excess.”
I can’t help it!
A stroke of brilliance came to me while I was thinking about what to make Joel for his birthday. Home made hostess cupcakes! I know they’ve been done before, but I’ve never attempted something of this magnitude.
First step: Start with an excellent chocolate cake batter.
Next: Bake into cupcakes.
While cupcakes cool: Make delicious marshmellow-y frosting and chocolate ganache.
Then: Cut out top of cupcake.
Set aside the cut out top bit:
Pipe in some marshmellow-y frosting goodness:
Replace little top bit:
Ok! Now, glaze the tops of the cupcakes with the ganache:
And then finally, the last touch of excess, the white piping:
And, you know, they are even more delicious then they look.
Chocolate Cake adapted from Smitten Kitchen
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 300°F. Line cupcake tins. *
Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well.
Divide batter between pans. Make sure to not to overfill the cupcake wrappers as this batter puffs up a lot. I found that 1/4 cup of batter was the perfect amount for flat topped cupcakes. Bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 25 minutes.
Cool cupcakes completely on racks. Cupcakes may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
*Note: This recipe makes 48 cupcakes (!) so don’t be afraid to halve or quarter it if you desire a more reasonable amount.
Marshmellow-y Frosting adapted from Smitten Kitchen
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Combine frosting ingredients with a pinch of salt in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and beat with a handheld electric mixer at high speed until frosting is thick and fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat until slightly cooled. Use frosting the day it is made.
*Note: The original recipe calls for corn syrup, which I don’t have, so I just upped the sugar and water a tad and it worked great.
Chocolate Ganache also adapted from Smitten Kitchen
1 1/3 cup fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon water
1/4 stick (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
Finely chop chocolate. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and water to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.
Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used, it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency).
*Note: The original recipe also calls for corn syrup, which I still don’t have, so I just upped the sugar a tad and added a dash of water and it worked great.
On to the assembly: Just like the pictures above.
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