Showing posts with label cupcakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cupcakes. Show all posts

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Take A Bite Of: Boston Cream Cupcakes with Godiva Ganache

Oh, sinful goodness that can be yours by this afternoon. The reason for my chocolatey sensation? Its a way of celebrating today.

Why am I celebrating? Because, I am an "Award Winning" blogger.

My gratitude to The Peach Tart for my MAJOR award, and to I Love Brownies for another Honest Scrap award, and to Ms. Lee at I Want to Make That for giving me a Lovely Blog award. And what better way to celebrate awards then with cupcakes? Well, yes, there are other ways but we can get to the cocktails later. Buon Appetito!

Boston Cream Cupcakes with Godiva Ganache

Custard Filling:
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Cupcakes:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
6 large egg yolks, at room temperature

Ganache Frosting:
2/3 cup heavy cream
5 bars (1.5 oz each) Godiva® Solid Dark Chocolate, finely chopped

Make Filling: (Prepare at least 2 hours or up to 1 day in advance.)
1. Whisk together 1/4 c. milk with cornstarch until smooth. Add 3 egg yolks and whisk until blended. Set aside.

2. Combine remaining 3/4 cup milk and 1/3 cup sugar in small heavy saucepot and heat to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and whisk half of milk mixture into egg yolk mixture. Return mixture to pan. Heat to a boil. Simmer gently for 1 minute, whisking constantly until slightly thickened.

3. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, vanilla extract and 1/8 tsp salt. Transfer filling to a covered container and refrigerate for several hours until thickened and completely cool.

Make Cupcakes:
1. Position oven rack in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Line muffin cups with paper liners or grease muffin cups and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons flour; tapping out excess.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl; set aside.

3. Place 1 1/4 c. sugar in small bowl. Scrape out vanilla bean seeds into sugar with a small knife. Mix to distribute seeds in sugar; set aside.

4. In medium bowl beat butter and sugar mixture with electric mixer at medium-high speed about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add 6 egg yolks, two at time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions. Beat until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.

5. Reserve approx 2 cups of batter. Spoon remaining batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Make a slight well in center of each filled muffin cup using the back of a teaspoon. Add about 2 T. of custard filling over each filled muffin cup using a pastry bag or small ice cream scoop. Completely cover filling with reserved batter.

6. Bake cupcakes in two batches, for 22 to 24 minutes or until tops are golden brown and set. Cool cupcakes in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

Make Frosting:
1. In small saucepot, add cream and heat to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted and set aside.

2. Using small angled spatula spread about 2 T. of frosting in an even layer over top of each cupcake. Refrigerate for at least 40 minutes to set frosting. Serve at room temperature. And be sure to save one for me.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Take A Bite Of: Raspberry Cream (Birthday) Cupcakes

the lightest, most delicious twist on a regular cupcake you will ever have. And since today is my big day, don't I need something fantastic ? Of course.

I will be making these little birthday vittles to share. And fabulous Jen over at Jen's Voices gave me my first Blog Award called Honest Scrap. So while I put together my list of 10 things you just couldn't wait to know about me, I might as well have a cupcake. Another great Giada recipe. Buon Appetito!

Raspberry Cream Cupcakes
Ingredients
  • 1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix (recommended: Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe)
  • 1 1/3 cups water
  • 3 large eggs whites
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 (6-ounce) containers fresh raspberries, cut in half or 1 (16-ounce) container fresh strawberries, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar, plus additional for dusting

Directions:

Line 18 muffin cups with muffin papers. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cake mix, water, egg whites, melted butter, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a large bowl for 2 minutes, or until the batter is well blended. Using about 1/3 cup of batter for each cupcake, spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake the cupcakes until they are very pale golden on top, about 15 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely on a cooling rack.

Using a fork, coarsely mash 1 1/2 containers of raspberries in a medium bowl. Beat the cream and 1/3 cup of powdered sugar in a large bowl until firm peaks form. Fold the mashed raspberries into the whipped cream.

Remove the muffin papers from the cupcakes and cut the tops off of each cupcake. Spoon the raspberry whipped cream atop the cupcake bottoms. Place the cupcake tops on the cupcakes. Dust with more powdered sugar and serve with the remaining berries.