Day 2: Chocolate Vanilla Cupcakes

I've been working with the book Cupcakes by Shelly Kaldunski.  I really like this book because it has a wide variety of recipes that use a lot of different techniques and each recipe is geared for a relatively small batch of 12 cupcakes.  Not sure it's the highest quality baking cook book I've ever seen, but it's a good place to start. 

These turned out really really good.  The cake was rich, moist and fluffy.  The contrast (I wanted to use the word juxtaposition, but I restrained myself.  You're welcome.) between the cake and the buttercream is wonderful.  I really love buttercream, but there's something about it that makes my stomach hurt.  Maybe it's because this type of frosting is more or less just whipped butter.  I need to find a way to make a frosting that's noms-o-licious, but not so very heavy.  I mean, really, two sticks of butter?  It's like a fancy way to dip a stick of butter in sugar and lick it like a Popsicle.  I'm not sure if that sounds like a dream come true, or if it makes me vomit a little in my mouth. Probably both

Also, if you try to make buttercream and your butter is too cold, it looks nasty, like this:

Just keep mixing and it will all work out.

Chocolate Cupcakes
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350F.  Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.  Place the chocolate and the butter in a large heatproof bowl and set over (but not touching) simmering water in saucepan; stir frequently until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes.  Remove the bowl from the saucepan let the mixture cool to room temperaure, 10-15 min.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture until combined.  Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each addition, and then beat in the vanilla.  gently fold in the four mixture just until no traces of flour remain, do not overmix.

Divide the batter evenly amont the perpared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 22-24 min. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 min.  Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. 

Vanilla Buttercream
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
In a large, clean heatproof bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar.  Set the bowl over (but not touching) simmering water in a saucepan and heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until the sugar has copletely dissolved and the mixture is very warm to the touch ( about 160F on a ninstant- read thermometer), about 3 minutes.  remove the bowl from the saucepan.  Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg white misture unitl it is fluffy, cooled to room temterature, and holds stiff peaks (the mixture should not look dry), about 6 min.

With the mixer on medium low speed, add the salt and the butter, a few pieces at a time, beating well after each addition.  If the frosting appears to separate or is very liquid after all the butter is added, continue to beat on high speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add Vanilla, and beat until combined.  Use right away.

Tomorrow's Challenge: Lemon Somethings.  ^_^