Guest Blogger Alice Currah: Nothing Beats a Cupcake Made from Scratch and Baked with Love
by Kitchen Maus
on August 24, 2009
Alice Currah loves to bake and cook. Currently raising three kids at home, she's also the creator and photographer of recipe-food blog SavorySweetLife.com. Prior to having children, her design and restaurant experience led her to open her own wedding cake business. A Seattle native, she can often be found drinking coffee, eating chocolate, and developing recipes. We are thrilled to have her guest blogging today on Al Dente, especially since she's sharing a recipe we all had the good fortune of taste testing--this is one chocolatey sensation you won't want to miss!
Since I was a little girl, just the very sight of a cupcake brought a huge grin to my face and instant happiness to my heart. Just the anticipation of eating one would momentarily whisk away my troubles and make the day complete.
Cupcakes are nostalgic--every bite satisfies a need to connect with memories and personalities we cherish. That special day with my favorite cupcake flavor always brings me to a giddy place. Whimsical little cakes with a mound of frosting and rainbow sprinkles...so delicious and left to made you feel so fussed over! Even looking at Jessie Oleson’"Cuppie" illustrations on Cakespy.com can bring a smile to the burliest and brawniest.
Nothing beats a cupcake made from scratch and baked with love. A current favorite in my household are chocolate espresso cupcakes frosted with chocolate ganache. The kids enjoy the chocolate truffle-like frosting while my husband and our friends love the rich and decadent Frangelico-flavored ganache. The marriage of chocolate and hazelnut liqueur results in a sophisticated cupcake not for the faint of heart. For those of you who appreciate a twist on a classic cake made new, I present to you Alice’s Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes with Frangelico Ganache. Enjoy!
Alice’s Espresso Chocolate Cupcakes with Frangelico Ganache
Makes approximately 40 cupcakes
Ingredients:
Frangelico Chocolate Ganache *see below
2 shots espresso with 1-3/4 cups hot water (Americano), or substitute 2 cups hot strong coffee
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour (11-1/4 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. In a small bowl, mix cocoa powder and Americano/coffee until it looks like a smooth chocolate sauce; set aside to cool. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and sugars until nice and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Slowly add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until batter and mix for 2 minutes. Add chocolate-coffee sauce mixture and mix the cake batter for 3 minutes on medium-high or until the batter is smooth.
2. Fill each muffin cup until 2/3 full. Bake about 25 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing and allow to cool on a wire rack. Frost each cupcake with a heap of Frangelico chocolate ganache.
Enjoy!
Frangelico Ganache
Ingredients:
16 ounces high-quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons Frangelico hazelnut liqueur
In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream to a boil and immediately turn heat off. Add chocolate to the cream, stirring constantly until chocolate ganache is smooth. Add Frangelico liqueur and allow ganache to cool.
*For more information on different ways to use ganache as frosting, see this post I recently wrote on SavorySweetLife.com titled, “Simply Glorious: Chocolate Ganache 3 Ways.”
--Alice Currah
Cupcakes are nostalgic--every bite satisfies a need to connect with memories and personalities we cherish. That special day with my favorite cupcake flavor always brings me to a giddy place. Whimsical little cakes with a mound of frosting and rainbow sprinkles...so delicious and left to made you feel so fussed over! Even looking at Jessie Oleson’"Cuppie" illustrations on Cakespy.com can bring a smile to the burliest and brawniest.
Nothing beats a cupcake made from scratch and baked with love. A current favorite in my household are chocolate espresso cupcakes frosted with chocolate ganache. The kids enjoy the chocolate truffle-like frosting while my husband and our friends love the rich and decadent Frangelico-flavored ganache. The marriage of chocolate and hazelnut liqueur results in a sophisticated cupcake not for the faint of heart. For those of you who appreciate a twist on a classic cake made new, I present to you Alice’s Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes with Frangelico Ganache. Enjoy!
Alice’s Espresso Chocolate Cupcakes with Frangelico Ganache
Makes approximately 40 cupcakes
Ingredients:
Frangelico Chocolate Ganache *see below
2 shots espresso with 1-3/4 cups hot water (Americano), or substitute 2 cups hot strong coffee
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour (11-1/4 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. In a small bowl, mix cocoa powder and Americano/coffee until it looks like a smooth chocolate sauce; set aside to cool. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and sugars until nice and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Slowly add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until batter and mix for 2 minutes. Add chocolate-coffee sauce mixture and mix the cake batter for 3 minutes on medium-high or until the batter is smooth.
2. Fill each muffin cup until 2/3 full. Bake about 25 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing and allow to cool on a wire rack. Frost each cupcake with a heap of Frangelico chocolate ganache.
Enjoy!
Frangelico Ganache
Ingredients:
16 ounces high-quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons Frangelico hazelnut liqueur
In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream to a boil and immediately turn heat off. Add chocolate to the cream, stirring constantly until chocolate ganache is smooth. Add Frangelico liqueur and allow ganache to cool.
*For more information on different ways to use ganache as frosting, see this post I recently wrote on SavorySweetLife.com titled, “Simply Glorious: Chocolate Ganache 3 Ways.”
--Alice Currah
CakeSpy on August 24, 2009 at 12:03 PM
Two favorite blogs unite...and there are cupcakes involved? Best. Post. Ever!! The cupcakes look lovely, but they sound like they taste even better than they look!
Helen - Tartelette on August 24, 2009 at 12:41 PM
I love Alice! Love her cupcakes and love this post! She is one of the sweetest and most supportive persons I know.
Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction on August 24, 2009 at 01:03 PM
Love these cupcakes - they are so beautiful! Alice's site is wonderful... glad to see here featured here. :)
Lori @ RecipeGirl on August 25, 2009 at 07:02 AM
I'm an Alice-fan, and I'm an admitted cupcake fanatic. Will have to try this recipe out on the teachers at my son's school. They love my cupcake experiements. Love that ganache idea!!
chinch kabel on September 22, 2009 at 02:10 AM
You have some serious piping skills! I have a party for 50 pp next week in the Hamptons so can i order 50 of each to be delivered on thursday, nice and pretty?
Tom on November 22, 2009 at 11:45 PM
Have you noticed the NEW label on Frangelico? “Product of Italy” as opposed to “Original Hazelnut Liqueur”? Have you noticed the NEW taste? Something akin to syrup. C&C Group has destroyed the product. Before you invest heavily this season on cooking or serving, better check it out. NOT the Frangelico we grew up with!!!
Happy Holidays
JJ on May 05, 2010 at 10:40 PM
Love this post - gorgeous treats!!!!