Black and White Cupcakes with Gooey Chocolate Glaze

I received a new cookbook for my birthday, simply titled Cupcakes by Shelly Kaldunski (sold at Williams-Sonoma). As if there aren't enough cupcakes to be had at all of the cupcake bakeries cropping up in D.C., at $3 a pop I've been interested in trying to make my own. Baking has never really been my "thing", in fact just today I learned there was such an ingredient as cake flour. (Which, incidentally, seems to make all the difference.) 

I've always been a big fan of the black bottom cupcakes at Starbucks - a mix of chocolate cake and cheesecake in cupcake form - so I was quite excited to see that my new cookbook has a recipe for Black and White Cupcakes. While the cream cheese did not quite settle in the center of the cake as I had hoped, the cupcakes looked good and had the combination of tangy and sweet flavors that I enjoy.

Black and White Cupcakes

makes 12 cupcakes

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

1 TBS sour cream

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup cake flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

4 TBS unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in middle position. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

To make the cream cheese filling, in a bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the cream cheese until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream and 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until combined.

To make the cupcake batter, sift together the cake flour cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and remaining 3/4 cup sugar together until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in 2 additions, beating on low speed until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about half full. Spoon the cream cheese filling onto the center of each, dividing it evenly (the filling will sink into the cupcakes as they bake). Bake until the cupcakes are set in the center, around 15 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Gooey Chocolate Glaze

makes approx. 1 1/2 cups

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 TBS unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces

In a small saucepan, combine the sweetened condensed milk, chocolate, and butter. Warm over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is bubbly, 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the glaze cool slightly before using. (The cooled glaze can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.)

Spoon the glaze over the cupcakes and top with chocolate curls or other decorations. The finished cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 250 degree oven of 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Our recent trip to Nashville, TN and our cupcake taste test inspired me to try making my own, and what a better opportunity to do so than Valentine's Day. I treated myself to a "Cupcake Kit" from The Chocolate Moose mainly to get the cute cupcake wrappers and pastry bag. It also comes with a recipe book with recipes for basic vanilla and chocolate cupcakes, cream cheese and chocolate frosting plus a handful of fancier cupcakes infusing fruits and other flavors. Below is the basic recipe for chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. I added the heart-shaped York peppermint patties as (edible) decoration.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 12 (I halved the recipe, to make 6)

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules dissolved in 2 teaspoons water

2/3 cup buttermilk (any fat content)

• Sift the flower, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixture on medium speed until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each is blended into the batter and it looks creamy, about 1 minute. Mix in the vanilla and dissolved coffee. On low speed, add half of the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. Mix in the buttermilk to blend in. Mix in the remaining flour mixture until it is incorporated and the batter is smooth.
• Spoon the batter into cupcake liners set in a muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 3 cups, for 12 cupcakes

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar

• In a large bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth and thoroughly blended, about 1 minute. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.
• Add the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth, about 1 minute, then beat on medium speed for 1 minute to lighten it further. 
• Spread on cooled cupcakes.

Enjoy!

On the Road: Nashville, Tennessee

For what may be a new feature for this blog, I introduce On the Road, a post on the unique finds and culinary adventures to my latest trip. This one comes from Nashville, Tennessee.

Having never been to Nashville, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was hoping for some good southern cooking, and of course plenty of cowboy boots and country music. The city did not disappoint. I share with you a few of the highlights. The first breakfast on our list was Monell's - good, old fashioned country cooking.

Monell's

1235 6th Avenue N
Nashville, TN

The concept of Monell's, all-you-can-eat country cooking served family style, would lead anyone to believe that it is just another tourist trap. A hokey experience with tacky decor, mediocre food, and a gift shop. Your assumption couldn't be more incorrect.

Upon entering Monell's, you feel like you've entered someone's home. The restaurant has only a few rooms, each housing roughly one table for 12. As your party arrives, you may have to wait a few minutes to be seated because they like to fill up the entire table for each seating. Things move slower in the south and you should not get impatient during your wait, because the true sense of family style dining, often with complete strangers in this case, is an experience to enjoy. Fortunately, this place is so popular that it doesn't take long for enough people to arrive. Monell's has a garden, with benches and swings (and fun garden gnomes), to pass the time on a nice day.

Once seated, a waiter comes over with instructions. Everything is served family style. Food will be brought out as it is ready. Please pass the platters to you left. And, if you run out of anything, or want more, just ask! Your food will be out in 5-8 minutes. Simple enough.

The three of us were seated with another couple and seven southern women in a book club. They were discussing To Kill A Mockingbird. It seemed fitting.

Shortly thereafter, the food arrived in what can only be described as a parade. One dish after another, it kept coming. Biscuits, gravy, sausage, bacon, ham, pancakes, eggs, corn pudding, potatoes, cheese grits, and, as is served at every Monell's meal - fried chicken.

Monell's slogan sums up the experience beautifully: "I've eaten and I can't get up."

Lazzaroli Pasta

1314 5th Avenue N

Nashville, TN

Next on our stop was not so much to eat, but to browse. Lazzaroli Pasta was a must-stop pasta store for our resident Nashvillian, so that she could stock up on fresh made pastas and sauces for the week. What a cute little place, and very nice owners (straight from Philadelphia, I might add). We were so curious about the sign in their window ("PATSA") that we just had to ask. Fortunately, they were well aware of the spelling mistake, but had such a great sense of humor that they decided to hang it anyway. Lazzaroli also has a very nice selection of Italian meats and cheeses, oils, vinegars and flavored salts (truffle salt!).

Ivey Cake (right)     and      Curious Gourmet Cupcake (left)

100 4th Ave N 318 Main Street

Franklin, TN Franklin, TN

Next stop - Franklin, TN. An adorable little town just about a half hour from downtown Nashville. Here the streets are lined with independently owned shops, restaurants, and cupcake bakeries (two!). So, we had to do a taste test! With such flavors as devil's food cake, Boston creme pie, lemon, coconut, red velvet, vanilla with vanilla, chocolate with chocolate etc. it was really hard to decide. As you can see, we picked six flavors overall, to share among four people. They were all delicious! Curious Gourmet piled their icing higher, Ivey Cake has more options, so depending on your mood, I think it is safe to say that you can't go wrong with cupcakes in Franklin, Tennessee.