If it were a sitcom, it would go something like this: A couple is getting married, and wants to "make it special" by having a friend make the wedding cake. Of course the friend, who is not a baker, says yes ... baking disasters, hijinx, last-minute grocery store swapouts and hilarity ensue.
But it's not a sitcom, and it goes something like this: My friends Dan and Kate are getting married, and ask me make to make their wedding cupcakes.
Can we please just cut to the part where hilarity ensues?
I'm not a baker. And I'm not being modest. I'm good at other things. I can promise you that, if you've seen a cake, cupcake or brownie come out of my kitchen, it arrived there in a box. I have neither the interest nor the capability to improve on the work of Mrs. Crocker or Mr. Hines. People who're good at math are good at baking. Not only am I not good at math, I find it, and baking, maddening.
But I do like a challenge. And, in the Stanwood spirit, there's nothing like the pressure of pleasing Dan and Kate (and 150 of their closest friends) on the biggest day of their lives so far, to motivate a girl to pull something out of her ear.
They wanted dark chocolate and whiskey. The rest was up to me. It was down to the wire, and it took testing 12 different recipes (10 pre-written, 2 off-book), some more than once, for me to learn how to bake cupcakes, and come up with the winning recipe. Here it is:
For the Cupcakes:
But it's not a sitcom, and it goes something like this: My friends Dan and Kate are getting married, and ask me make to make their wedding cupcakes.
Can we please just cut to the part where hilarity ensues?
I'm not a baker. And I'm not being modest. I'm good at other things. I can promise you that, if you've seen a cake, cupcake or brownie come out of my kitchen, it arrived there in a box. I have neither the interest nor the capability to improve on the work of Mrs. Crocker or Mr. Hines. People who're good at math are good at baking. Not only am I not good at math, I find it, and baking, maddening.
But I do like a challenge. And, in the Stanwood spirit, there's nothing like the pressure of pleasing Dan and Kate (and 150 of their closest friends) on the biggest day of their lives so far, to motivate a girl to pull something out of her ear.
They wanted dark chocolate and whiskey. The rest was up to me. It was down to the wire, and it took testing 12 different recipes (10 pre-written, 2 off-book), some more than once, for me to learn how to bake cupcakes, and come up with the winning recipe. Here it is:
For the Cupcakes:
1 stick butter (4 oz)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup Laphroaig whiskey
2 eggs 3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or strong coffee
3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream, plain yogurt, or buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract or strong coffee
3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream, plain yogurt, or buttermilk
For the Ganache:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 Tbl. butter, room temperature
1 tsp Laphroaig whiskey
Fresh raspberries (or any berry) for garnish, if you like. A sprig of mint might also be nice!
Instructions:
1. In a double boiler (or a heat-safe bowl over a pot of simmering water), melt chocolate, butter, whiskey and cocoa. Stir until smooth, then remove the bowl and let it cool until barely warm.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350° and line 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. (I used white tulip liners, also available in brown and red.)
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350° and line 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. (I used white tulip liners, also available in brown and red.)
2. Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla together in a large bowl.
3. Whisk together dry ingredients in a smaller bowl.
4. When chocolate mixture has cooled, scrape into the egg mixture and beat together.
5. Add half the flour mix to the egg/chocolate mix > stir gently > add sour cream > stir gently > add remaining flour mix > stir gently.
6. Scoop batter evenly into the lined muffin tin.
7. Bake 17 minutes, or just before a cake tester comes out clean from the center of the cupcakes! Underbake, don't overbake!
8. Let cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then remove to rack. Ice with ganache when completely cool.
To make the ganache:
1. Chop the chocolate, and transfer to a heat-proof bowl.
2. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, and then poor over the chocolate.
3. Let the mixture sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth.
4. Add the butter and whiskey, stir until combined.
5. Let the ganache cool until thick, but soft enough to pour.
6. Pour on completely cooled cupcakes, push it around with a spoon. I wanted to keep the tulip cups clean, so didn't worry about getting it down to the edges of the cake.
2. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, and then poor over the chocolate.
3. Let the mixture sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth.
4. Add the butter and whiskey, stir until combined.
5. Let the ganache cool until thick, but soft enough to pour.
6. Pour on completely cooled cupcakes, push it around with a spoon. I wanted to keep the tulip cups clean, so didn't worry about getting it down to the edges of the cake.
7. Nestle a berry right down in that warm ganache.
No comments:
Post a Comment