CHOCOLATE INDULGENCE CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE DREAMY AMERICAN

Ingrediente

64 g (⅔ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch-processed*

180 g (¾ cup) water, boiling

240 g (1 ⅛ cups) brown sugar, light or dark

50 g (4 tablespoons) white sugar

100 g (½ cup) oil (any vegetable oil, such as canola or avocado)

1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt

100 g (2 large) eggs, room temperature

10 g (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract

120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour, unbleached

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

Chocolate American Dreamy Buttercream (makes about 3 cups):

14 g (2 ¼ tablespoons) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted**

32 g (2 ¼ tablespoons) boiling water

180 g (6 ⅓ ounces) any chocolate*** (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)

170 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened slightly

30 g (¼ cup) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy

⅛ teaspoon fine salt (to taste, start with a pinch)

chocolate or rainbow sprinkles for decorating (optional)

Instrucțiuni

Bake the Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven and pans.

Move your rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.

Add cupcake liners to a standard-sized cupcake tray.

Prepare the cocoa powder paste.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the Dutch-processed cocoa powder with the boiling water until smooth and lump-free. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes to allow the chocolate flavor to bloom.

Mix in the remaining ingredients.

Add the sugars, oil, and salt to the cocoa mixture and whisk for about 1 minute until it forms a thick, runny chocolate sauce. The brown sugar may not fully dissolve, but the mixture should settle into a smooth consistency. Small bubbles may appear due to the alkaline cocoa reacting with the brown sugar.

Add the eggs and vanilla. Whisk vigorously by hand for at least 1 minute, until fully incorporated.

Whisk in the flour and baking powder until smooth, then lightly tap the bowl to release any large surface bubbles.

Fill the cupcake pan.

Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ full with the chocolate batter. Depending on the size of your pan, you should get around 12-15 cupcakes. I usually get 13 or 14 (that’s 1 dozen for giving away and 1-2 taster cupcakes for the chef ;) ).

If you only have one cupcake pan, just let the batter sit at room temperature until you’re ready to bake the rest.

Bake for 18-22 minutes. (I baked 20 minutes)

The centers should not jiggle when the pan is shaken. A skewer inserted in the center should come out with only a few crumbs. If using a thermometer, the internal temperature should read 190–200°F (88–93°C). For a fudgier texture, underbake by 1–2 minutes; once cooled, the cake will resemble a slightly denser flourless chocolate cake rather than a sponge-style layer cake.

Cool the cupcakes.

Place the hot cupcake tray onto a cooling rack. Once the cupcakes have cooled enough to handle, remove them from the trays and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Make the Chocolate Frosting:

Hydrate the cocoa powder.

Sift the Dutch-processed cocoa into a small bowl. Pour in the boiling water and stir until smooth. Let it cool while you prepare the other ingredients.

Melt the chocolate.If using bar chocolate, chop it into small pieces and place it in a heatproof bowl. Microwave at 50% power in 20-second intervals, stirring each time until about 75% melted, then stir until fully melted. With my 1200 Watt microwave, this took 1 minute.Alternatively, use a water bath: place the bowl in hot (not boiling) water off the heat and stir until about 75% melted, then stir until fully melted. , avoiding any water contact.

Set aside to cool until liquid but no longer hot to the touch (80–95°F / 26–35°C).

Whip the butter.

Add slightly softened butter to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on low to break it up, then whip on high until pale and fluffy.

Add the chocolate and cocoa paste.

Scrape the cooled, melted chocolate into the butter, then mix it in completely with a spatula.  Then whip on high for a few minutes, scraping once.

Add the cooled cocoa paste and continue whipping on high until fully emulsified; the frosting will appear slightly paler and thicker.

Adjust and smooth the frosting.

Taste and add powdered sugar and salt as needed, mixing to combine.

Whip on high for 1 minute, then switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low for at least 3 minutes to remove air pockets. Depending on the type of chocolate you use, the frosting may seem too loose at first. This is because we have softened/melted the primary structural components, which are butterfat and cocoa butter.

To firm up the frosting, put a bit of ice in the bowl in the fridge for 5-10 minutes, then mix again until you like the consistency. Repeat until it’s firm enough to pipe onto your cupcakes.Conversely, if you let the frosting sit out at room temperature for a while (mine took about 45 minutes) before using, you may notice it becomes very stiff. This is great! It’s normal because the cocoa butter (along with the other fats in the chocolate) has now solidified into an intact emulsion, a nd all you have to do is mix on high speed to get it smooth, creamy, and pipeable.

Frost the Cupcakes:

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled and the frosting is smooth and creamy, you’re ready to decorate. Fill a large piping bag fitted with a tip of your choice (I used Wilton 1M) with all the chocolate buttercream. Carefully pipe a swirl onto each cupcake. You should have enough to use about 2.5-3 tablespoons of buttercream per cupcake

Note

https://www.sugarologie.com/recipes/chocolate-cupcakes-with-chocolate-buttercream#recipes

Adriana's Notes*Dutch-processed (European-style) cocoa is darker (sometimes with a reddish hue) compared to natural cocoa. This is due to alkalization, a process that neutralizes acidity, resulting in a smoother, mellower chocolate flavor essential to this cake. I tested natural cocoa, but it produced an overly acidic and astringent taste with a chalky texture. **Dutch-processed cocoa also works best here. Its alkalization creates a milder, less acidic flavor and a darker hue, giving the frosting a deep brown color and a well-rounded chocolate taste. It is also more soluble in water and, in my experience, incorporates into frostings more easily than natural cocoas, which tend to leave a film of cocoa-water on top of the frosting. ***This recipe works with any chocolate (bars, chips, or callets) as long as it contains an emulsifier (listed as "lecithin," "soy lecithin," or "sunflower lecithin"). If you use chocolate from a bar, you’ll need to chop it up into chip-sized chunks, which I’ll annotate in the recipe card for you.You can use any chocolate flavor except white. For this recipe, I highly suggest using semi-sweet chocolate chips (the cheapest option with great flavor), though feel free to use a chocolate bar too. Check my Complete Guide to Chocolate American Dreamy Buttercream to learn about choosing chocolate for this recipe.