Double Chocolate Cupcakes With Rosewater Frosting

This is my first choice for a Valentine's treat.  I know a little girl who would just love another  "Nani Surprise!  

The recipe for the cupcakes is an adaptation of the Double Chocolate Pound Cake from Rose Levy Beranbaum's Cake Bible

makes 6-7 large cupcakes, more if using regular-sized cupcake liners


Ingredients

2 Tb Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 Tbspn + 1 1/2 tspn black cocoa powder (or substitute with Dutch-processed cocoa)

1 tspn instant coffee powder or espresso powder

1/4 cup boiling water

1 1/2 tspn vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cups (125 gr) AP flour

3/4 cup + 2 Tbspn (175 gr) granulated sugar

3/4 tspn baking powder

1/4 tspn salt

13 Tbspn (184 gr) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Whisk to combine the cocoa powders, coffee powder, and boiling water. Let cool to room temperature.

3. Once the chocolate mixture is cool, whisk in the vanilla and eggs until combined and set aside.

4. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine.

5. Add half of the chocolate mixture and the softened butter to the flour. Mix on low until the flour is moistened and then increase speed to medium and beat for one minute to aerate.

6. Add the remaining chocolate mixture to the batter in two additions, beating for twenty seconds after each addition. Finally, beat in the chocolate chips.

7. Divide the batter amongst the paper cupcake molds, filling each about 3/4 of the way.

8. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.


Rose-scented cream cheese frosting
adapted from Magnolia Bakery


Ingredients

1/2 stick butter, at room temperature

1/2 tspn vanilla extract

1/2 tspn rosewater

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

8 oz. cream cheese, cold

1 drop pink gel food coloring


Directions


1. Beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the vanilla extract and rosewater and mix until combined.

3. Beat in the sifted powdered sugar.

4. Gradually add small chunks of the cold cream cheese, beating well after each addition. Mix in the food coloring at the end.

5. Use to pipe onto cupcakes immediately. Top with shaved dark chocolate.



NOTE From baker: I used a large closed-star tip for the frosting in these photos.


Recipe & Image via Desserts For Breakfast

Leftover Candy? Pumpkin Cupcakes With Maple Frosting

I was looking for leftover Halloween candy recipes to share with you when I came across this Barefoot Contessa recipe in House and Garden.  After this I stopped, no need to keep looking! If you don't have Heath Bars in the leftovers stash (who does!) you can use Butterfingers!

For those of you who like to make more than one dessert forThanksgiving, this would be a great alternative!

Makes 10 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup canned pumpkin purée (8 ounces), not pie filling

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Maple Frosting (recipe follows)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped Heath bars, for serving (2 1.4-ounce bars)

Method


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush or spray the top of 10 muffin tins with vegetable oil and line them with 10 paper liners.

2. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.

3. Divide the batter among the prepared tins (I use a level 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.

4. Spread the cupcakes with the Maple Frosting and sprinkle with the chopped toffee bits.


Maple Frosting

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon Boyajian Natural Maple Flavor

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar


Method

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter on low speed until smooth. Stir in the maple flavoring and vanilla extract. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

Recipe Ina Garten for House Beautiful

German Chocolate Cupcakes

These cupcakes are a bit  more restrained in the height department than most, a bit sophisticated, with the sweetness kept in check. Hence their popularity.  Don't use a high-percentage, fancy chocolate; so find one that has less than 60% cocoa solids. (Nowadays most packages give that information.) Also note that the original recipe uses natural cocoa. Since it's a relatively small amount, I would imagine that you could give it a try with Dutch-process cocoa powder, although the natural cocoa gives it a slightly devilish red color.


Makes 12


For the cupcakes

2 ounces (60 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup (60 ml) boiling water or coffee

8 tablespoons (4 ounces, 115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup (150 g) sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature, separated

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (150 g) cake flour (not self-rising)

1 tablespoon unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (125 ml) buttermilk (see Note), at room temperature


Directions


1. Preheat the open to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.

2. Pour the boiling water or coffee over the chocolate, and stir until melted. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or by hand, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add the egg yolks and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Then mix in the vanilla and the melted chocolate.

5. Whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in half of the dry ingredients, then add the buttermilk or sour cream, then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until blended.

6. In a clean, dry bowl, whip the two egg whites until stiff, then fold one-third of them in to the chocolate batter, then the rest. Fold just into there are no streaks of white remaining, but don't overfold.

7. Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake for about 25 minutes, until the batter feels just set in the center. Remove from the oven, then let cool for a few minutes.

Once cool enough to handle, remove the cupcakes from the muffin tin and let cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.

For the German chocolate frosting

3/4 cup (180 ml) evaporated milk (whole milk)

1/4 cup (60 g) packed light brown sugar

2 large egg yolks

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons (30 g) butter, salted or unsalted, at room temperature

2 ounces (55 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 cups (110 g) sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted

1 cup (125 g) chopped, toasted pecans

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional: Additional toasted coconut, for a garnish



Directions

1. Whisk together the evaporated milk, brown sugar, egg yolks, and salt in a medium saucepan.

2. Add the butter, then cook the mixture, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula over medium heat, like a custard, until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the spatula. Do not let boil.

3. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the chocolate, stirring gently until melted. Then stir in the coconut, pecans, and vanilla. (If using unsweetened coconut, you can add an additional teaspoon of brown sugar if it's not sweet enough, to your taste.)

4. Let cool to room temperature, then use the frosting to ice the cupcakes, topping the cupcakes with a bit of toasted coconut as a garnish after you ice them, if you wish.

Note: For those of you who can't get buttermilk, you can use a similar quantity of whole milk plain yogurt or sour cream, Or mix 1 1/2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice with 1/2 cup (125 ml) whole milk and let it sit 10 minutes.

Adapted from Luscious Coconut Desserts (Chronicle) by Lori Longbotham

Photo David Leibowitz