TWD: Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes

Tuesday again, the last time that I'll be able to bring a TWD-challenge to the office where I work now: my last week has arrived so fast all of a sudden...

This week it was time to make Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes and I looked forward to making them. But while I was busy planning what treats to make for my colleagues for my last workday I almost forgot all about the cupcakes, but fortunately Clara of I heart Food 4 Thought reminded me of them, she's the one who picked them! You can find the recipe here, on Clara's blog.

At the TWD-site I read that a lot of TWD-ers had problems with them baking time and thought that the cupcakes were too dry. So I decided to pull my cupcakes out of the oven after 17 minutes, like most of them did. I also may have added just a touch more butter in the batter, but certainly not a lot.

For the glaze I used half bittersweet chocolate and half milkchocolate, Dorie adviced us to dip the cupcakes into it and turn while pulling them out: that way we would create a nice swirl on top. My glaze was already thick to start with, so dipping was no option. Before I put the glaze on, I filled the cupcakes with a vanilla cream filling by popping the tip into the cupcake and filling it with cream untill I felt some resistance, I used the recipe that I found at Baking Bites:

Vanilla Cream Filling

3 tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 cup milk (low fat is fine)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk together the flour and milk and cook in a small saucepan over medium heat until thick. This will only take a few minutes. Sir continuously to prevent the mixture from clumping and do not bring all the way to a boil. When thickened (consistency will be that of a thin pudding or custard), strain with a mesh strainer into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool completely to room temperature.When the milk mixture is cool, cream the butter (or shortening) and sugar together in a medium bowl until lightl. Add in the milk/flour mixture and the scraped vanilla bean seeds (or vanilla extract) and beat at high speed with an electrick mixer for 7 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape into a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip, or a large ziplock bag with the corner cut off, and set aside until ready to fill your cupcakes.

These cupcakes were delicious: the cake was nice and fluffy, the glaze was perfectly chocolate and the filling just added that little bit of oompfh to the cupcakes. I would rename these Heavenly, almost better than sex chocolate cupcakes. And my coworkers agreed...... :)



To end this post with a slightly less naughty subject: doesn't Pien, my brothers Dachshund of 11 weeks old look cute and sweet when she's asleep??

P.S. Check out my fellow TWD-ers cupcakes here.