Thursday 17 April 2014

Red Wine Cupcakes

I have been busy (or lazy?) lately, and have not been baking or blogging as much as usual.


I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, and I was intrigued.  The result was interesting.  Maybe I didn't add enough cocoa, or maybe not enough red wine.  It didn't really taste like chocolate...what did it taste like?  It was unique.   My husband and I couldn't quite put our finger on it.  It grew on us though, and I would make these again, maybe with more cocoa and/or more red wine, and maybe with some oil or buttermilk to moisten it up a bit.  They were a tad dry, and continued to dry out over a couple of days.



Red Wine Chocolate Cupcakes
slightly adapted from 'Red Wine Chocolate Cake' by Smitten Kitchen

1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup red wine (I  used Shiraz).
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup cocoa
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add egg and yolk, beat well.  Mix in vanilla. Add the red wine (It's okay to take a sip first).  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa.   Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture until well combined.
Spoon into lined cupcake pan, about 2/3 full.   Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle cupcake comes out clean.  I topped mine with a dollop of vanilla buttercream.


Friday 11 April 2014

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes (take two)

Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes, take two.  For some reason, I tried a different recipe this year. Well, I thought I was using the same one, but realized once I got started that no, this was not the same one.... so here we are, with round two.  Take One from last year turned out better - they were richer tasting and moist. That being said, every last one of these disappeared....




Add some stout to your favourite chocolate icing recipe, for some added festivity.

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes
from Chatelaine

11/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
11/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup dark stout beer

Sift flour with cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt into a medium bowl. Stir to mix. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter with sugar for 3 min. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after additions. Beat in vanilla. Stir about one-third of flour mixture into butter mixture. Add half the beer. Repeat additions, ending with flour. Stir just until evenly mixed. Pour batter into a lined cupcake pan.
Bake at 350 degrees until a cake tester inserted in the centre cupcake comes out clean, approximately 20-23 minutes.