Week 30, August 25,2014 ~ German Chocolate Cupcakes

Guten Tag! This post will be in all German in honor of these German Chocolate Cupcakes!....yeah no I am not going to do that...I may have taken German for 6 years but that was over 10 years ago (#gross)  and meine Deutsch ist schricklich! I can sing Happy Birthday though. This was a cupcake I was saving for a lazy week when I didn't feel like creating something more original...and this was the most exhausting work week ever! I we were basically rebuilding our store and I was working 10 hour days....I was definitely feeling my 29 years of life that week! So the fact that I was able to whip these up should me pretty impressive! Also now that work is finally settling down hopefully this is the week I completely catch up on my posts! I stayed somewhat traditional with these cupcakes, I made the cupcakes with German chocolate and made the coconut caramel pecan topping that is standard with a German Chocolate cupcake. I did get a little crazy and make a caramel coconut pudding to put inside just to make it more caramely and do something a little different. I did get a little lazy with the decorating. I was going to make a chocolate frosting to pipe around the outside and make it prettier but I went the more "rustic" route and drizzled chocolate on top. Anyone that watches Food Network knows rustic is code for lazy....I am looking at you Ina Garden! These were pretty much everything I like in a sweet...chocolatey, caramely, and coconutty so I liked them! Side note: this was also the week I realized it was time to replace my baking soda. The cupcakes sunk a bit in the middle which means your baking soda has run its course. I typically have to replace my baking soda once a month and my baking powder every three months or so. 

This recipe makes 16 cupcakes! I think I actually made some mini once instead of all regular sized cupcakes though

For the caramel coconut pudding: 

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 tablespoons  cornstarch
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/4teaspoons salt

1. Whisk together 1/4 cup of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, melt the sugar over medium heat. Let the sugar caramelize, swirling the pan if necessary to caramelize it evenly. Be careful to make sure it doesn't burn.
3. Once the sugar has completely caramelized, remove from heat and slowly pour in the 1 1/2 cups of milk while whisking constantly. The caramel will bubble and steam violently at first and might even seize up. Once all the milk has been added, return the pan to the medium heat and whisk until all the caramel has dissolved. Boil for a few minutes until slightly thickened.
4. Slowly whisk in the milk and cornstarch mixture, vanilla, coconut, and salt and stir until pudding has thickened. Add the salt. Chill for at least one hour before using.

For the Cake:

• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 2 ounces Bakers German's Chocolate
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup cocoa
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1  stick unsalted butter, room temp
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup sour cream

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tin and set aside.
2.  In a medium heat-proof bowl, pour the boiling water over the German's Chocolate. Stir until smooth and set aside.
3.  In another medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the mixer beat sugar and butter for 1-2 minutes on medium until light in color. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and mix well. 
4. Reduce the speed to low and add the German's chocolate and vanilla. 
5. Add flour mixture by thirds, alternating with sour cream and end with dry ingredients.
6. In a medium bowl with a hand mixer (or if you have another bowl for your mixer use that with a clean blade) beat egg whites to soft peaks. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir the beaten whites into the batter. 
7.  Divide the batter equally amongst the cupcake tins. Bake until a tester inserted in center of each cake layer comes out clean, 20-24 minutes.

For the Coconut Pecan Frosting:

• 1/2 cup full-fat evaporated milk 
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup salted butter, diced 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 oz. dark chocolate, melted

• 1. In a medium saucepan combine, evaporated milk, egg yolks, brown sugar and butter. Cook mixture 10-15 minutes over medium heat, while stirring constantly, until thickened.
• 2.  Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer.  Stir in vanilla and mix in shredded coconut and chopped pecans.
• 3. Allow the mixture to cool before using.

4. Once you have spooned the topping onto the cupcakes drizzle with the melted chocolate.

                                 

Week 15, May 12, 2014 ~ Chocolate Caramel Creme Cupcakes

I think summer is going to prove to be a problem...On Sunday,after weeks of 45 degree weather, we had an 80 degree day! Anyways everything just felt meltier...I think the butter got too soft and the frosting lacked some of the bounce it normally does--I will just have to play around with it I suppose! This week I made a caramel cupcake with chocolate chips, a caramel creme filling, and caramel and chocolate buttercream swirl. The Frosting is basically 2 separate frosting swirled. I will explain it better below.

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes:

For the Caramel Cupcake:

• 1 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup  unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugars together at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. 
3. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until combined. 
4. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until no flour remains, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly stir in the cream, careful not to overmix. 
5. Fold chocolate chips into batter.
6. Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full, dividing the batter between all 12. Bake cupcakes for 22-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. 

For the Caramel Creme filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1. Place the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a small saucepan, stirring to combine. Without stirring, bring to a boil over high heat, swirling the ingredients in the pan occasionally. 
2. Continue boiling until the mixture reaches an amber color (not too dark, or red). Remove from heat and very carefully (the mixture will quickly expand and sputter) add the cream in a slow steady stream, being sure to stir constantly.
3.  Cool to room temperature and then beat with the powdered sugar until combined.
4. Fill each cupcake with 1-2 tbsp.

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

• 1  cups butter, at room temperature 
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder*
• 2  Tbsp heavy cream or half-&-half
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment whip butter on medium-high speed until butter turns almost white and is fluffy about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally. 
2. Add the cocoa powder then add in powdered sugar gradually. Mix until well combined.
3.  3 Tbsp heavy cream and coconut and mix on low speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add more cream if frosting is too thick.
4. Increase mixer to medium-high speed and whip mixture until pale and very fluffy about 4 - 5 minutes, occasionally scraping down sides of the bowl.
5. Fill a piping bag and then put the rest in another container (if using a kitchenaid) to make the caramel buttercream

For the Caramel Buttercream:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter; room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce --store bought or homemade 
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Whip the butter for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy
2. Add the confectioners sugar one cup at a time until fully incorporated
3. Add the caramel sauce, vanilla, and beat for another 4-5 minutes until fluffy 
4. Taste and add more caramel if you want

Now comes the super technical part! I should of taken photos but I think it is easy enough to explain. You need:

•  two 12' pastry bags
• one 16' pastry bag
• a pastry tip- I used Wilton 1M 
• You don't NEED it but a large coupler makes it easier

First fill the 2 12' pastry bags with the two frostings and then set up the larger bag like you would normally and then cut the tips off the bags filled with frosting and carefully place them in the larger bag next to each other. Test the bag and squeeze until both frostings come out at the same time! It is like a soft serve swirl ice cream in frosting form! It is honestly not the hard and it looks cool...it would probably look really cool with 2 different colored frostings like for a graduation or something!

I may post something non cupcake related this weekend...I made the most amazing macaroni and cheese ever and more people need to know about it!

Happy Baking :)