Friday 30 May 2008

Delicious and Dark



I have found the Cupcake Hero group this month and the theme for May was cocoa. I have always lik ed the dry, intense flavour of cocoa and the way it can turn an innocent chocolate cake into something far more adult and demanding. I decided to make a chocolate ganache cupcake which is more of a dessert than a tea time dainty. I also used cocoa nibs, an even more intense ingredient which gives a lovely crunch without sweetness in a chocolate cake. I offer the following recipe for fellow lovers of the dark but not the over sweet.

Makes 10 cupcakes

80g unsalted butter
30g ricotta cheese
110g caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbs cocoa nibs
30g good cocoa powder
80g flour
1 large tsp of baking powder
pinch of salt

Cream the butter, ricotta and sugar and then add the room temperature eggs bit by bit. Fold in the seived flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa and the cocoa nibs. Bake in cases for 15 minutes or until well risen and cooked through. Cool on a rack

For the ganache melt 1/3rd cup double (heavy) cream with about 150g dark chocolate. Remove from the heat when the chocolate begins to melt and the cream is hot. Cool and then whip about 1 cup of double (heavy) cream until it holds it shape. Fold in the melted chocolate and cream mixture when cool (or you will melt the cream). Put into the fridge.

When the cakes are cool slice off the tops and scoop out a hollow from the middle using a tea spoon or melon baller. Fill with the ganache and a raspberry or cherry if you like (or a strawberry, blueberry etc etc or a liqueur soaked piece of macaroon - stop me, I am wandering). Put the top on.

Whip a little more cream and marble through the rest of the ganache. Pipe onto the tops of the cakes in generous swirls. Sprinkle with more cocoa, or non pareils, or whatever.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

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