Anti-Valentine's Day Cupcake #2: Chocolate Hijack Cupcakes
This cupcake is for chocolate lovers everywhere... like seriously, its chocolate, upon chocolate, upon chocolate. You will eat it and think you've died and gone to chocolate heaven... or just a really awesome place filled with chocolate. The chocolate cupcake is fluffy and rich - the recipe is based on Isa's basic chocolate recipe from here. (Seriously, how do you not have this book yet?) Then, the cupcakes are filled with a smooth and super chocolate-y ganache and topped with a fluffy mocha frosting. I used bittersweet chocolate chips that are 60% cacao (365 brand-vegan) and that extra bit of quality really goes a long way here... I mean, its all about the chocolate so don't scrimp on the main ingredient. Feel free to adjust the sweetness in both the ganache and frosting if you use a different kind of chocolate. Oh, and its really important to lick all your bowls and spoons after you're done. So, fasten your seatbelts, keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle, here we go!
For the chocolate cupcakes:
1 cup soymilk
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. I used my plainest liners so the chocolate cake could show through.
Combine the soy milk and vinegar and whisk together until frothy. Set aside while you gather the rest of the ingredients. Add the oil, sugar and vanilla and mix well to combine, until the sugar is dissolved. Sift in the dry ingredients. Isa says to do this in 2 batches and I think its a good idea - its easier to avoid lumps from the cocoa powder that way. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full, try to avoid drooling into your muffin tin and bake 18-20 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool to room temp.
For the ganache-like filling:
3 Tbsp soy milk1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, 50% cacao or higher
Combine the soymilk and chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the chocolate starts melting or the soymilk starts bubbling, whichever you notice first. Watch very closely, you don't want to burn your chocolate! Remove from heat immediately and keep stirring until the chocolate chips are melted and you have a smooth chocolate sauce. It shouldn't be too thin or too think. If you lift the spoon out of the sauce, it should drip off smoothly but not too fast. Make this right before you're ready to fill the cupcakes so it doesn't cool down too much. Start filling as soon as the ganache is cool enough to handle.
For the mocha frosting:
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, at least 50% cacao
2 Tbsp soy milk
3 Tbsp strong, brewed coffee
2-3 cups powdered sugar
In a small saucepan, over med-low heat, melt the margarine. As soon as its melted mix in the chocolate chips and stir until smooth. In a large bowl or your standmixer bowl, combine the melted chocolate, soy milk and coffee. Sift in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time for the first 2 cups, mixing well in between w/ either your stand mixer or a handmixer and then a little at a time for the last cup, adjusting for taste. (I used 2 and 3/4 cups of sugar and it was perfect.) Once the taste is where you want it, mix for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and a nice light brown color. This frosting gets a more candy-like consistency after a little while...its not super-soft and fluffy. I think its great for this though - it mixes great with the cake and the filling.
Assemble! Cut holes in the middle of your cupcakes as discussed in the previous post. Fill the cupcakes with the chocolate ganache, either with a spoon or MacGyver style. I replaced the tops of the holes this time for extra chocolatey-chocolatiness. Frost the cupcakes generously with the mocha frosting. I decorated each one w/ a chocolate-raspberry flavored coffee bean but feel free to get creative. Chocolate shavings would be really nice here, or more chocolate chips - or what I really wanted to use but didn't have any left, Java Drops! Done! Stick it to the man and share with everyone you know.
In a small saucepan, over med-low heat, melt the margarine. As soon as its melted mix in the chocolate chips and stir until smooth. In a large bowl or your standmixer bowl, combine the melted chocolate, soy milk and coffee. Sift in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time for the first 2 cups, mixing well in between w/ either your stand mixer or a handmixer and then a little at a time for the last cup, adjusting for taste. (I used 2 and 3/4 cups of sugar and it was perfect.) Once the taste is where you want it, mix for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and a nice light brown color. This frosting gets a more candy-like consistency after a little while...its not super-soft and fluffy. I think its great for this though - it mixes great with the cake and the filling.
Assemble! Cut holes in the middle of your cupcakes as discussed in the previous post. Fill the cupcakes with the chocolate ganache, either with a spoon or MacGyver style. I replaced the tops of the holes this time for extra chocolatey-chocolatiness. Frost the cupcakes generously with the mocha frosting. I decorated each one w/ a chocolate-raspberry flavored coffee bean but feel free to get creative. Chocolate shavings would be really nice here, or more chocolate chips - or what I really wanted to use but didn't have any left, Java Drops! Done! Stick it to the man and share with everyone you know.
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