Chocolate Cupcakes With A Twist

These are not your ordinary cupcakes, there is a secret hidden inside. Within the chocolate cake there is a creamy marshmallow filling which is a substitute for your frosting. This recipe is another original from Martha Stewart and her famous Cakes cookbook, helped me successfully pull this recipe off. From Martha's book I learned that, "Cocoa powder gives baked goods a deeper, rounder, flavor than when made with solid chocolate alone" (316). Using cocoa powder can give a milder and darker color really bringing out the flavors in a recipe. This original cupcake recipe only makes about 12 cupcakes so I decided to double the recipe so I would be able to have more to share.

Ingredients:  

1 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (12 tablespoons or 1 1/2 blocks)

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups marshmallow cream

confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat two 12 standard muffin cups with cooking spray, then dust with cocoa, tapping out excess. In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Using a mixer, beat in eggs, buttermilk, oil, and 3/4 cup water on medium until smooth, about 3 minutes.




Dry Ingredients

Liquid Ingredients

 

2. Divide batter among cups and bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes and let cool completely.

3. In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter on high until fluffy, 3 minutes; fold in marshmallow topping. Transfer to a zip-lock bag and cut off one corner to make a 1/2-inch opening.

*Transferring the filling is difficult so here are some easy steps you can follow:

 -Fold the top of the bag over into a cuff and hold with one hand. Fill the bag about half way with the filling, filling it too much will make it more messy. Unfold the cuff, twist the top, and push the frosting towards the tip. I recommend snipping the corner of the bag for easy use (Stewart 323).

4. With a melon baller, or small scooping tool, scoop out the center of each cupcake base and set aside (these pieces will plug cupcakes after filling). Hollow out each cupcake a bit more, throw away the crumbs. Fill the cupcake with the peanut butter mixture and place the plugs back in. You can refrigerate these for up to a week in an airtight container. To serve, dust with confectioners' sugar.

 

 

 

Recipes like this will take patience because they are very time consuming. In the end you won't regret it because it tastes delicious! For my first time making these cupcakes I am happy to say it was successful and fun to do. It was a new way to make cupcakes and something I had never done before. I would highly recommend to anyone who likes chocolate and peanut butter!
As someone who always likes to try new things, what are some of your favorite and unique recipes?
Stewart, Martha. Cakes. New York: Clarkson Potter, 2013. Print.

Strawberry Cheesecake

Since everyone in family loved the No-bake Cheesecake, I decided to create a recipe of my own. This new recipe is a No-bake Strawberry Cheesecake. I used some components from different Martha Stewart recipes, in her cookbook Cakes, and some helpful tips. One strawberry cheesecake recipe Martha said, “For a neat line, use an offset spatula to spread small dollops of the plain cheese mixture gently over the berry base” (171).  This technique is used so that the two layers stay separate and don’t intermix; it is usually used for a baked cheesecake. I had to try and get everything to stay in separate layers for a no bake.

 

For the crust

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan

16 sheets Graham Crackers, finely ground

¼ cup granulated sugar

Strawberry Filling and Topping: (X2 but I made them separately)

 2 cups strawberries, hulled and halved

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup granulate sugar

Filling:

1 ½ pounds (three-8oz bars) cream cheese

1 ¼ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream

 

Graham Cracker Crust (1)

 

Strawberry Layer (2)

 

Cream Cheese Filling (3)

 

1. Crust: butter a 10-inch springform pan. Mix crackers, sugar, and butter in a medium bowl. Press mixture into prepared pan, pressing firmly into bottom and all the way up side. Cover and refrigerate until ready to fill.
2. Sauce: in a saucepan place strawberries, sugar and vanilla to let simmer for about 5 minutes. Watch and mix until the berries are soft and there’s a good amount of juice in the pan. Let cool for 3 minutes then poor over crust and refrigerate until ready to fill.
3. Filling: with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; slowly add sugar and salt. Raise speed to medium-high; beat until very fluffy; about 3 minutes. Beat in lemon juice.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk cream, until medium-stiff peaks form. Mix cream into the cream cheese mixture. Pour filling into crust; spread evenly. Gently tape bottom of pan on counter. Refrigerate until topping is ready.
5. Topping: in a saucepan place strawberries, sugar and vanilla to let simmer for about 4 minutes. Watch and mix until the berries are between soft and normal/hard and there’s still a good amount of juice in the pan. Let cool for 3 minutes then drain the juice into a separate bowl. Drop the strawberries over the top for decoration.
6. Cover; freeze at least 3 hours and then refrigerate. Unmold cheesecake, and serve immediately (Stewart 171 and 182).

This new recipe was loved by my family and friends. There is a 1/2 pound less cheesecake so it is not too thick and the strawberries add great flavor. I would definitely recommend trying a new recipe if you are looking for an adventure.

If you were a famous chef, what genre of food would you prefer to work with?

Stewart, Martha. Cakes. New York: Clarkson Potter, 2013. Print.

No-Bake Spiderweb Cheesecake

Out of all the desserts I have made, I have never made a cheesecake. This recipe looked simple, easy, and delicious. Since this is a no-bake cake it only requires a refrigerator and freezer. In the cookbook Cakes by Martha Stewart she said that this, "Dessert is really just a super easy cheesecake with a deep, dark chocolate cookie crust. Serve it any time of the year without the spiderweb design" (182). She was not lying, I made this right after New Yea and everyone in my family loved it.

 

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
2 boxes (each 9oz.) chocolate wafers, finely ground
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons coarse salt

For the Ganache

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream

For the filling

2 pounds (four 8oz. bars) cream cheese, room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 ½ cups cold heavy cream

1. Crust: you will want to butter a 10-inch springform pan. Mix the cookies, sugar, butter, and salt in a medium bowl. Pour mixture and pat into the pan, pressing firmly into the bottom and all the way up the sides.  Refrigerate until ready to fill.



2. Ganache: Finely chop the chocolate in a food processor. In a small saucepan bring the cream to a simmer, pour over chocolate. When chocolate begins to melt, stir until smooth. Save two tablespoons ganache for decorating: spread the rest of the chocolate evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the crust. Refrigerate until ready to fill.  



3. Filling: using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese until fluffy and smooth (around 3 minutes). Turn speed to low; slowly add the sugar and salt. Raise speed to medium-high and beat until very fluffy (another 3 minutes). Beat in lemon juice.  



4. Using a separate bowl, which cream until it thickens or medium-stiff peaks form. Whisk in whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Pour filling into crust and spread evenly. Gently tap pan of counter to even out the filling.



5. Take the chocolate you saved off to the side and transfer to a small pastry bad or plastic baggy (cut off smaller corner or use a fine tip). Starting in the center of the cheesecake, pipe a spiral, spacing lines about ½ inch apart. Pulling the tip of a paring knife outwards, curve a line from the center of the spiral to the outer edge. Wipe knife clean and repeat every inch or so to form a web.



6. Cover and freeze for at least 3 hours or overnight. Unmold cheesecake and serve immediately (Stewart 182).

 

 

After making this cheesecake I would definitely say it was a success. Anyone could make this recipe, but beware it does take time and patience. This is good for everyone with a sweet tooth!


What is your favorite type of cheesecake, if you could choose one?

Stewart, Martha. Cakes. New York: Clarkson Potter, 2013. Print.