The Cherry Blossom festival started this weekend in Washington, for some reason I latched onto the festival as a theme for my cupcakes. Although I've lived less than an hour from D.C. my entire life, I've never actually been to the festival. I did commute with festival-goers one year when I was working in our Nation's Capitol. I greatly resented the "tourists" invading my evening commute, cherry blossoms or not. I needed to get into my "zone" to make the two hour commute bearable, sugar addled children racing up and down the isles of the Metro and lost Nebraskans looking for the Blue Line did not allow for a sleepy ride home consumed by a good read. God, I hated that commute.
But I digress, onto cupcakes. This recipe made many more than I originally planned, unless you are having a party, I would cut it in half or any semblance of diet will be ruined. The cupcakes had the look and feel of brownies, slightly rough top, did not rise a lot, but were cake-like and lighter than a typical brownie. Cherries and chocolate are natural partners, the tart cherries playing off the sweet chocolate. I was trepidatious of the fennel frosting, but it worked very well with the rich cream cheese. Overall, a nice combination.
Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes
56 regular cupcakes
2 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 c AP flour
7 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
30 T butter
8 eggs, room temperature
6 T Dutch process cocoa powder
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 c dried cherries, chopped and soaked over night
Preheat oven to 350.
Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler. Add sugar stir to dissolve, allow to cool. In second bowl sift flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder, set aside.
In bowl of standing mixer, beat cooled sugar, butter, chocolate mixture for 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well to incorporate. Drain cherries well and fold into batter. Fill cupcakes pans 3/4 full, bake 20-25 minutes until pick inserted comes out clean. Cool on racks.
Fennel Cream Cheese Frosting
4 T sugar
4 T water
2 t fennel seeds, crushed with mortar and pestle.
24 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, room temperature
6 c powdered sugar, sifted
Heat sugar, water and crushed fennel in a small pan until dissolved. Allow mixture to boil while stirring for 5 minutes, until tick and syrup like. Allow to cool.
In bowl of standing mixer, cream butter and cream cheese, about 5 minutes. Add fennel syrup and beat until combined. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating between additions until creamy. This is not a super thick frosting, best to slather instead of pipe. And I had lots of frosting left over, you may want to cut back a bit, unless you have other uses.
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