-FOR THE CUPCAKES-
1 1/3 c All purpose flour; sifted
1/2 ts Baking soda
1 pn Salt
1/4 c Unsweetened cocoa powder;
-sifted
6 tb Unsalted butter; at room
-temperature
1 c + 2 tablespoons sugar
2 Eggs
1 ts Vanilla extract
1 c Buttermilk
-FOR THE FILLING-
1/2 c Heavy whipping cream
2 tb Confectioners’ sugar
1/2 ts Vanilla extract
FOR THE ICING
4 oz Semi-sweet chocolate;
-chopped
1/4 c Water
3 tb Granulated sugar
1 tb Unsalted cold butter
TO MAKE THE CUPCAKES: Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Preheat the oven to 350? F. In a medium mixing bowl, resift the
flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and
fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each
addition. Add the vanilla. Then, with a wooden spoon, beat in half
the buttermilk and half the flour and cocoa mixture, stirring well to
combine. Add the remaining buttermilk, and flour mixture and beat
until thoroughly mixed. Evenly divide the batter among the muffin
tins (about 1/4 cup of batter per tin) and bake for 25 to 30 minutes
or until springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the middle
of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcake tin on a cake rack.
When completely cool, remove the cupcakes from their paper liners.
TO MAKE THE FILLING: In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream with the
sugar and vanilla until stiff. With a small paring knife, cut out a
small cone shape from the bottom of each cupcake and reserve them for
later. With a knife or small spoon, remove about a teaspoonful of
cake from inside each cupcake to create a hollow.
Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip, with the whipped
cream and pipe it into the hollow (if you don’t have a pastry bag,
then just spoon the cream inside the cakes as best you can). Plug up
the bottoms of the filled cupcakes with the reserved cake cones and
set the cupcakes, bottom side down, on a baking sheet and refrigerate.
TO ICE THE CUPCAKES: In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate,
water and sugar and bring to a boil. When the ingredients are at a
boil, lower the heat and simmer very gently, stirring on occasion,
for 5 minutes exactly. Transfer the icing to a bowl, whisk in the
butter and cool until the icing has set up a bit. Remove the cupcakes
from the fridge, then pour the icing on each cupcake. With a rubber
spatula, spread the icing out to the edges and refrigerate until
ready to eat. Serve the cupcakes on individual plates.
Yields
1 servings