Thursday 11 August 2011

Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes


There is something about cupcakes that makes them so irresistable, even more so than cake. Too often i bite into a piece of cake that is dry and over cooked  or in some cases not cooked in the middle at all! So i like to think that cupcakes are a safer option I also worked out that they cause fewer arguments as noone can accuse anyone of getting too big a piece or cutting the cake wonkily (something i often do). So as the name of my blog suggests i think i may steer more in the cupcake direction in future.

I'm not used to failure, or complete disaster infact but i think that i would prefer both of those over disappointment. So this post is my attempt at getting over the disappoinment of my Black Forest Gateau- beautiful yet tasteless. I stayed with the chocolate cherry combination because i think it works perfectly, but i discounted any cream that you would find in a gateau. What makes these cupcakes better than any i've ever tasted is the addition of the morello cherry jam, it makes the cupcakes so wonderfully moist and dense and leaves a subtle cherry after taste.

 Nigella, you are a genious.





Recipe: adapted from How To Be a Domestic Godess
Makes 12 large cupcakes

125g unsalted butter
100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids at least)
300g morello cherry jam
1 tbsp kirsch
150g caster sugar
2 large free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g self raising flour

Melt the butter and chocolate together until smooth and set aside to cool slightly. In a bowl beat the eggs with the vanilla and kirsch then mix in the sugar. Add the cherry jam to the chocolate then the sugar and egg mix and stir well. Sift the flour into the chocolate cherry mix and stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is properly incorperated. Divide into 12 cupcake cases and bake at 180C for 25 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache

100g good quality dark chocolate
100g double cream
1tbsp kirsch
12 glace cherries

Heat the cream and chocolate in a pan and stir until melted then add the kirsch. Ice the cupcakes however you like and put a cherry on top of each!

Something i've always meant to try is dipping some fresh black cherries in dark chocolate and then put them on top of the cupcakes, but of course then it starts getting very expensive and time consuming!




6 comments:

  1. these sound delicious!!

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  2. YUMMY!!! I need to work on my homemade cake/cupcake skills, I follow a recipe to the letter but most of the time mine turn out tough/chewy, any ideas what I am doing wrong? Any tips?

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  3. I promise if you follow this recipe they won't be! the jam makes them really moist. Maybe try turning your oven down slightly, i often cook cakes slightly lower than in recipes otherwise they tend to dry out in my oven!
    Hope it helps- let me know if it does/doesn't

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  4. Those are beautiful and undoubtedly delicious!

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  5. Hi Lydia,

    These look gorgeous!

    I've been meaning to give cupcakes another go, as my previous attempts have always been fairly mediocre. I think I might attempt these! I've never used a Nigella recipe before, would you recommend her?

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  6. oh wow these look great nice combo and I agree cupcakes can often be safer than a cake, thanks so much for visiting my blog

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