Happy Heart Cupcakes

I love it when I make things that look familiar but taste delicious
it is not so difficult when making mock store-bought treats for these hostess-like cupcakes. I use my tried and true devil’s food cake recipe for this; which I also used for my {copycat} ding dongs and instead of loopdy loops I made loopdy-hearts from tinted royal icing .

devil’s food cake

3 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped
1 1/2 cups hot coffee or hot water or mixture of the two (i use espresso with water)
3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 extra large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream + 1/2 cup milk or 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 
1 tsp vanilla


Melt bittersweet chocolate in hot water/coffee.  Sift dry ingredients together (including sugar). Mix together the chocolate/coffee mixture, milk, sour cream, and vanilla. In a mixer beat the eggs with the oil until thickened and doubled in volume (about 3-5 minutes).  Add the dry and wet ingredients, in an alternating pattern, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Mix until just incorporated.

Prepare your mini-muffin tins by liberally spraying with baking spray. Bake in a preheated 350F oven. These will bake rather quickly, check after 5 minutes.  They are done when the tester comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched

creamy fluffy filling

1 cup milk
5 Tbs flour
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup lard/shortening–room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter–room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch
salt
Over low heat, cook milk and flour in a saucepan until it makes a thick paste. Use a whisk to break up lumps. Let cool.  In mixer using whisk attachment, beat shortening, butter, sugar, salt and vanilla. Add in cooled flour paste and whip until light and fluffy.  Add more sugar if you want a sweeter taste.

ganache

1/2 lb bittersweet chocolate–
1/2 cup cream
1 Tbs granulated sugar
1 Tbs corn syrup
2 Tbs butter

Heat cream with sugar and corn syrup over medium heat.  Once cream begins to simmer and sugar is dissolved, pour over chocolate and butter. Let chocolate melt and then whisk together until it is thick and shiny.

For Royal Icing, I use Martha Stewart’s recipe. You can find a link to her recipe HERE

Mayan Truffle Cake

In celebration that today is rather than isn’t, I am sharing a special treat to honor the Mayans. They loved chocolate as much as I.

Mayan Truffle Cake for two
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon (plus more for dusting)
1/8 tsp smoked paprika
4 oz bittersweet (70%) chocolate–melted
cocoa powder for dusting

Spray 2-8oz ramekins with pan spray,then line with plastic wrap. Set aside. Pour cream in a bowl large enough for whipping. add in the salt, nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and smoked paprika. Whip to soft peaks. Allow to warm a little (you do not want the whipped cream to be super cold for the next step). Add about 1/4 of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture and stir until it has been fully incorporated. This will lighten the mixture a bit, which will make it easier to fold in the cream in the next step. Gently fold the remaining cream into the chocolate mixture. If your cream is too cold at this point, your chocolate will clump up and not incorporate well into the mixture, so be careful. Pour into prepared ramekins, smooth down the top and place in refrigerator for about 2 hours or longer, if you have the time.
When ready to serve, invert onto serving place and dust with cocoa powder and cinnamon. Serve with rich dark coffee