May the Cupcakes be with you!

Cupcakes have become a very popular replacement for wedding cakes.  It is a great idea if you have multiple flavors and you want everyone to try them, especially if you are baking mini cupcakes.  The wedding I just catered desired five different flavors, vanilla bean with vanilla buttercream, carrot cake, red velvet, Reese’s peanut butter cup, and the focus of this entry, chocolate Guinness with Bailey’s cream cheese frosting, which was also their wedding cake flavor.

The best place to start when making cupcakes is with your favorite cake recipe.  Many people try to overthink the process by believing that they need a specific recipe for cupcakes (that is simply not the case).  For these cupcakes, I took my favorite chocolate cake recipe and just added a bottle of Guinness (in place of the milk), then added sour cream (for the fat).

When making cupcakes you want to remember to always sift your dry ingredients together.  By sifting the dry ingredients together you avoid having lumps of flour that when baked won’t break down and will cause a dry patch in your cake.  If you do not own a sifter you can use a food processor and it will mix and break up all of the dry ingredients (or just use a spaghetti strainer like my wife).  Next in a mixer (I used a stand mixer) you will beat the sugars with the butter until it starts to become smooth and fluff a little.  One by one add one add the eggs then vanilla extract.  Alternate the dry ingredients with the addition of the Guinness.  Once the batter is thoroughly mixed together, add the sour cream and fold in completely.

Setting up your cupcake pan is easy; you place the papers in the muffin/cupcake pan and fill them up three quarters of the way full of batter.  I like to use a piping bag to pipe the batter into the cupcake papers.  Bake the cupcakes at three hundred twenty five degrees, rotating every five minutes, until a pick comes out dry.

                   

Once the cupcakes are done baking, let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes then carefully remove them and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.  If you leave them in the pan for too long they will start to sweat and the wrappers will start to fall off.

Now you can start the frosting process.  Start by mixing your cream cheese and butter (both should be at room temperature) with sifted powder sugar.  Mix in your mixer until smooth and fluffy.  Slowly add the Bailey’s Irish Cream.  Once completely mixed, transfer the mixture to a piping bag (using any tip), and carefully pipe on top of the Guinness cupcake.

Use your imagination with cupcakes!  Think about your favorite dessert and just use the flavors, such as tiramisu or banana fosters.  You can also switch things up and go more on the savory side, like maple candied bacon or cornbread cupcakes and top them with a chili spiced cream cheese frosting.

The possibilities are limitless!

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes:

2 C unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 C Dutch processed cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 C granulated sugar
1/2 C light or dark brown sugar
1/2 C unsalted softened butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 C sour cream
1 12 fl. oz. bottle/1 1/2 C Guinness or stout beer

 

Bailey’s Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 8oz. bar of cream cheese, softened
1 4oz. stick of unsalted butter, softened
2 C confectioner’s sugar
4 – 6 Tablespoons of Bailey’s Irish Cream

 

 

Chocolate Dipped Stone Fruit w/Ice Cream

Summer is stone fruit season, which makes it one of my favorite times of the year!  The produce in the summer and early fall is so amazingly delicious.

When talking about “stone fruit,” the term refers to members of the genus Prunus, which includes plums, cherries, peaches, apricots, and nectarines.  The blooms that produce the fruit are very fragile and extremely susceptible to frost and even strong winds.

The use of stone fruits can vary and range from fillers in a salad, to roasted and stuffed into a cobbler.  I prefer the simplest use, the one that really compliments the fruit and at the same time gives it the elegant perception of “Chocolate Covered.”

To make this dessert, simply melt your favorite chocolate (preferably a bitter sweet) in a bowl over simmering water.  Once the chocolate has melted, scrape the chocolate into a small bowl or container that will allow you to fully dip the fruit without too much maneuvering or trouble.  After you have dipped half of the fruit in the chocolate, lightly scrape off part of the extra chocolate from the bottom of the bowl and place onto a chilled plate.  Allow time for the fruit to cool and the chocolate to harden.  You may now double dip into a different kind of chocolate to give a more hand crafted look or just scoop your favorite ice cream into the middle and serve immediately.  Really, it is that simple!  Don’t miss out on this wonderful time of year!