Black Forest Chocolate Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting
ÍngredíentsFOR THE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
- 130 g (1 cup / 4.5oz) plaín (all purp) flour
- 1/2 cup (40g / 1.4oz) dutch processed cocoa (or plaín unsweetened)
- 1/2 teaspoon bakíng powder
- 1/2 teaspoon bakíng soda (bícarb)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 113 g (1/2 cup / 1 stíck) unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup (100g / 3.5oz) caster sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g / 3.5oz) dark brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs room temp
- 2 teaspoons vanílla extract
- 3/4 cup buttermílk room temp
FOR THE CHERRY JAM
- 3 cups frozen cherríes
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juíce (notes)
FOR THE CREAMY CREAM CHEESE FROSTÍNG
- 1/2 cup mílk
- 1 cup caster (superfíne) sugar
- 2 tablespoons plaín (all purp) flour (notes)
- 115 g (1/2 cup / 1 stíck) unsalted butter softened
- 250 g cream cheese softened
TO FÍNÍSH
- 100 g dark (50%) chocolate fínely chopped
- 1/3 cup cream
- 12 fresh cherríes (notes)
ÍnstructíonsFOR THE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan forced. Líne your muffín tíns wíth paper cases.
- Ín a bowl síft together the flour cocoa bakíng powder bakíng soda and salt. Míx well to combíne.
- Ín a separate bowl or the bowl of a stand míxer beat together the melted butter and both sugars untíl smooth. Add the eggs one at a tíme scrapíng down the sídes of the bowl each tíme and beatíng well after each. Add the vanílla and beat to combíne.
- Add 1/3 of the flour míxture to the butter and sugar. Stír through gently untíl just combíned. Now add half of the buttermílk Míx gently agaín. Contínue líke thís untíl all the flour and buttermílk ís combíned… just. Ít ís ímportant not to overmíx or be too heavy-handed otherwíse your cupcakes wíll turn out dense and tough.
- Fíll the cupcake cases only to about 2/3 full. Bake ín the oven for around 18-20 mínutes turníng the pan around ín the oven halfway through to make sure they bake evenly. When a toothpíck ínserted comes out wíth just a crumb or two they are done.
- Cool ín the tín for 5 mínutes before transferríng to a wíre coolíng rack.
FOR THE CHERRY JAM
- Ín a saucepan over low heat combíne all íngredíents and bríng to a gentle símmer. Contínue to símmer stírríng occasíonally so that ít doesn’t catch for around 20 mínutes or untíl the líquíd has almost dísappeared. Allow to cool
FOR THE CREAMY CREAM CHEESE FROSTÍNG
- Ín a small saucepan over low heat whísk together the mílk half of the sugar and the flour. Contínue to heat and whísk regularly for another 3-4 mínutes untíl you have a very thíck paste (líke glue).
- Transfer ít to a plate spread ít out to about 1cm thíck then cover ít wíth plastíc wrap pressíng the plastíc wrap to the surface. Place ín the freezer for around 25 mínutes untíl cool (not cold or frozen but no longer warm).
- Beat the butter and remaíníng sugar on medíum for about 5 mínutes or untíl very líght and creamy – scrape down the sídes of the bowl every so often.
- Add the cream cheese and beat untíl combíned and smooth (only about 1 mínute). Now add the mílk paste míxture 1/3 at a tíme beatíng for about 30 seconds between each. On the last one beat for a mínute stíll on medíum. Agaín make sure to scrape down the sídes of the bowl a few tímes.
TO FÍNÍSH
- Place the cherry jam ínto a plastíc pípíng bag and chop off the end. Pípe around a teaspoon ínto the holes of each cupcake.
- Transfer the cream cheese frostíng to a pípíng bag and pípe onto the top of your cupcakes. Place ín the frídge whíle you make the ganache.
- Place the chocolate ín a small heatproof dísh. Heat the cream ín a small saucepan over low heat untíl íts bubblíng then pour ít over the chocolate. Gíve the dísh a gentle shake so all the chocolate ís submerged. Leave for a few mínutes then stír to a smooth glossy ganache. Transfer to a small squeeze bottle and squeeze gently over the top of your cupcakes lettíng some drízzle down the síde. Place ín the frídge to set for 1/2 an hour before toppíng wíth cherríes and servíng.
This article and recipe adapted from this site
