Wednesday, January 14, 2009

ICE January: Chocolate Champagne cupcakes with a white chocolate strawberry truffle center and strawberry whipped cream

The January Iron Cupcake Earth challenge was wine, any kind of wine and since I had some Champagne left from New Years... Why not?!

These rich and dense chocolate brownie-like cupcakes have a white chocolate truffle heart which hides a little piece of fresh strawberry. The strawberries were also used in the whipped cream frosting. What's more tempting than champagne with chocolate and fresh strawberries?!

Plus, aren't chocolate, champagne and strawberries aphrodisiacs or something? Well, here you have all three in one... kinda like a love making cupcake! Perfect for Valentine's Day or a special dinner! AND there's whipped cream... now really, what can we ask more?? Make sure you don't eat the truffles before putting them in the cupcakes... half of mine were left "truffle-less": they are AMAZING even on their own, maybe even more so!

If you liked my cupcakes, please vote for me!! To cast your vote go to No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner!! Voting starts on January 29th at 8pm and ends on February 4th at noon.


Chocolate Champagne cupcakes (original recipe from Krishna Brown)
yields 12

8 ounces 70% dark chocolate
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
6 tbsp flour
1/2 cup champagne

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the chocolate with the butter in a double boiler.
Beat the salt, baking powder, vanilla and sugar into the melted chocolate.
Add the eggs into the chocolate mixture, beating them in one at the time. Add the flour to the mixture and mix until blended.
At this point, add the champagne and beat on high speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is shiny.
Pour the mixture into the prepared muffin tin and bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with crumbs stuck to it if you want a moister cupcake, or else bake a bit longer.

Let the cupcakes cool completely and then make a whole in their center, going half way down the cupcake. Insert the white chocolate truffle in the hole and cover with the cupcake piece that was removed. It is very important that the cupcakes aren't warm anymore or else the truffles will melt. Set them in the fridge while preparing the frosting.

White Chocolate Strawberry Truffles
yields about 15

4 ounces white chocolate
2 tbsp + 2 tsp heavy cream
1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
fresh strawberries (I used the tips cut off)

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Add the butter and stir until melted. Pour the cream over the white chocolate, let sit for a few seconds and then stir until completely melted and smooth. Cool, cover, and refrigerate the mixture until firm, at least 2 hours.
Using a melon baller or small spoon, roll the mixture into little balls. Press down the middle with your thumb and nestle a piece of strawberry inside, roll the truffle back into a ball and put back into the fridge for about 1 hour or until ready to use.

Strawberry Whipped Cream
yields about 2 cups

1 cup heavy whipped cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup lightly sweetened strawberry puree

In a large mixing bowl place the whipping cream, vanilla, and sugar and stir to combine. Cover and chill the bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. When chilled, beat the mixture until soft peaks form.
Then add the strawberry puree a little at a time, and beat just until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised. Taste and fold in more sugar or puree, if required.


Our January ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists: DOGBONE ART, LOTS OF SPRINKLES, CAKESPY, and SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY.

Our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, JESSIE STEELE APRONS , the CUPCAKE COURIER, TASTE OF HOME books and UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM will be providing our winner with one of their cute cupcake attitue t's!

2 comments:

Sweet Treats by Dani said...

the recipe sounds wonderful!!! good luck :)

The Friendly Foodie said...

This is a little late, but I've had this recipe saved for the last two years. I've used the recipe for the strawberry whipped cream so many times; just wanted to thank you for it!! :)