Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Caramel Frosting
Posted on March 22nd, 2009 by theapartmentkitchen
When company is on it’s way, I love to bake. Normally, I busy myself with savory treats, because neither Matt or I have much of a sweet tooth. That, and we would probably eat it all if it laid around the house too long. So when I had a group of friends heading up this weekend, I figured it was time to whip out the spatulas, pastry bags, and, of course, chocolate.
That was the only request from my guests. When I asked what I should make, the answer was just: “Something with chocolate!” So I brought out an old favorite recipe. These cupcakes are thick, moist, and chewy like a good brownie. Spotted with chocolate chunks, they have a double chocolate edge. The frosting is a whipped ganache infused with the flavor of carmel – it is light and airy while still packed with amazing chocolate flavor. It’s a really unique frosting recipe that is simple to make and can really transform any cake!
If this isn’t enough chocolate, I don’t know what is!
Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Caramel Frosting
Makes 12 cupcakes
Adapted from recipes on Epicurious.com
Leftover Potential: The frosting can be made a day or two ahead and whipped when needed. Once, whipped, it needs to be used immediately. The cupcakes also can be made up to 2-3 days ahead and kept in airtight containers.
Double Chocolate Cupcakes
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups dark (or semisweet) chocolate, chopped
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup chocolate chunks or mini chocolate chips
1/4 tsp salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour your cupcake pan (or lightly grease twelve cupcake liners inside the pan).
2. Combine the butter, dark chocolate, and unsweetened chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Melt over a double boiler kept over medium low heat. Stir until the mixture is melted and smooth.
3. Stir the sugar into the mixture, then slowly add the eggs and the vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
4. Toss the chocolate chunks with 1/4 cup of flour to coat. Add the chocolate chips and the remaining flour to the cupcake mixture. Mix in the salt. Mix the mixture only to combine.
5. Divide the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out nearly clean (moist crumbs should cling to the tester). Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Milk Chocolate Caramel Frosting
24 oz good milk chocolate, chopped
3 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
2 1/4 cups whipping cream
1. Combine the two chocolates in a heat safe bowl. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and the water. The sugar should resemble wet sand, and should be relatively wet with water. Add more water if necessary.
3. Cook the sugar mixture over medium heat. Stir the sugar until it begins to boil, then leave it alone to cook. Cook the mixture to a deep amber caramel (usually best to remove the caramel from the heat slightly before it reaches the color you desire, since it will continue cooking due to residual heat). For more information on caramel, please reference my post about Moose Munch.
4. Remove the finished caramel from the heat and add the cream. The mixture will bubble and steam a lot – this is ok. The cream can (if it’s too cold) force the caramel to seize slightly. Simply re-warm the mixture over medium low heat until the caramel re-distributes itself through the cream. The mixture will not be thick, it will resemble caramel-colored milk.
5. Pour the hot caramel cream over the chocolate. Allow to sit for about 15 seconds, then stir to combine. The finished ganache will be smooth, thick, and shiny. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and allow it to chill for at least 2 hours.
6. Transfer the cooled mixture to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip the ganache until it has become lighter in color (about the color of milk chocolate). It will be well aerated and light.
7. Transfer the whipped ganache to a piping bag fitted with a pastry tip, and pipe desired shape on top of the cupcake. Or simply spread the frosting evenly across the surface of the cupcake. Let the cupcakes sit for awhile, as the frosting will set up slightly – if you can be patient, they are better when the frosting has set! If not, have plenty of napkins on hand.
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