I really enjoy making desserts. I like them because they taste good AND they’re pretty. 
For Easter I wanted to try to impress with the dessert I was bringing to family dinner. I created this three-part some-what masterpiece based on two recipes I had read. The original inspirations are from A Baker’s Fieldguide to Cupcakes by Dede Wilson (pg. 130 “Chocolate Drizzle Cupcakes) and Martha Stewart’s Fluffy Lemon Buttermilk Cake found at http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/fluffy-lemon-buttermilk-cake.
Those recipes definitely paved the way for this one that I call Fancypants Individual Cakes.
The Ingredients:
The Batter-
2 Sticks unsalted butter (I cut these into 1/2 inch pieces and let them sit on the counter for a while before I use them)
3 cups all-purpose flour
I used 4 large egg whites and 1 whole egg (minus the shell of course!)
4 large egg whites
1 large egg
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 C. granulated Sugar
about 2-3 Teaspoons raspberry extract
1 C. Reduced fat buttermilk (ha! I definitely did not use this in an attempt to cut the fat in this recipe. Let’s face it this recipe will be rolling in fat content. The reason I used reduced-fat is because that’s what they had at the store when I went.)
Some extra flour and shortening to line the muffin tins.
The Chocolate Ganache-
2/3 C. Heavy Cream
10 Oz Semisweet chocolate morsels
The Whipped Cream-
*note: when making whipped cream, it is best to chill your bowl in the freezer until it is cold to touch prior to combining ingredients in it.
1 1/2 C. Heavy Cream
up to 1 C. Confectioners sugar (the more you add, the stiffer the whipped cream will become)
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Edible Glue- OPTIONAL
About 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
about 2 tablespoons water
Optional- Strawberries or other fruit for garnish.
The Batter’s Creation.
Preheat oven to 340 F.
First combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. I used a fork because my whisk broke 😦 Set this dry combination aside for the time being. Next, cut the butter up into half -inch slices. I find that when I do this, the butter and sugar cream easier and faster.
I cut the butter up into half-inch pieces, I find that it creams faster and more evenly when I do this.
I also leave the butter sitting out on the counter or near the preheating oven so that it is not rock solid when I try to use it. Take the cut up butter and put it into a fairly large mixing bowl (this is the bowl that our finished batter will end up in). Add the sugar and combine using electric beaters. You will know this sugar-butter combination is done when it looks light and fluffy and seems to be pretty evenly combined. (Most recipes say this takes about 2 minutes. I’ve never timed it)
Next we are going to add the eggs. I added them one at a time in this order: 2 egg whites, then the whole egg, then the final two egg whites. If you do not know how to separate the parts of the egg, get ready to learn! It’s actually pretty easy. You can either get a store-bought egg-separator, or you can do what I do and just crack the egg near the middle. Use the two sides of the shell and pour it from one side to the other and then back again. The white will fall into the bowl as you do this because it is heavier than the yellow. Just be careful not to break the yellow because then it will be impossible to keep it from pouring into the batter. As I said earlier, add them one at a time. Add the egg, let it get absorbed into the batter for a few seconds, mix it in, let it absorb into the batter for a few seconds after being mixed in and then add the next one. Keep this pattern up until all 4 egg whites and 1 whole egg have been added.
The next step it to add our flour combination into the batter 1/2 C to a cup at a time alternating with the buttermilk. What this means is that you will put your cup of flour in, mix it in thoroughly, then add a third of the buttermilk. Then add another portion of the flour, then add another third of the buttermilk. Make sure you begin and end with the flour. After all of these ingredients are in the large mixing bow, we are ready for the final step: Raspberry extract. Add this in a little at a time and mix it in thoroughly until you get the amount of raspberry flavor that you are looking for.
Now the batter is done!
Alright. Now the batter is done. Time to prep the muffin tins. For this project, we will NOT be using cupcake papers! Just swipe a clean cloth or paper towel into some shortening (I used Crisco’s vegetable shortening) and then swipe it around each well of the muffin tin so that they are covered in a very thin film of shortening. Then dust flour into each of the wells. This will help keep the finished cupcakes from sticking to the muffin tin.
And finally, using a spring-release ice cream scoop, scoop batter into each well of the muffin tins. I had 1 nearly full scoop per well.
Let the cupcakes cook for 12-18 minutes. When they begin to look golden and solid, take them out. Try not to overcook!
After this batter, the next two portions are so easy!
Whipped Cream!
You should make the whipped cream next. Simply take out the bowl you have been chilling and pour your heavy cream into it. Beat it with an electric mixer until it starts to get thick. Then beat in the vanilla. Next, add the sugar a little at a time, beating briefly between. Remember, you will want this to spread nicely so it should be looser than tub butter but creamy enough that it will hold onto the cupcake. Just keep beating and/or adding confectioner’s sugar until you find the consistency that you want. Put whipped cream in fridge.
Put the iced cakes in the fridge if you are not ready to add the ganache right away.
By the time you are finished with the whipped cream, the first batch of cupcakes will be ready to come out. Take the cupcakes out of the oven and let them cool in the pan on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes. After the five minutes, take a butter knife and gently circle each cupcake between the cake and the edge of the well, encouraging it to be free. Then, carefully tip the muffin tin over and let the cupcakes tumble out. (Please please, please do this on a clean surface. No one wants to eat something that has been bouncing around on the floor or on top of your junk mail!) If little devils are being stubborn, gently pat each well with the heel of your hand until they fall out. Allow to sit on a cooling rack until completely cool to touch. This is VERY important because the whipped cream will fall off (well, melt off really) if the cupcakes are still warm.
Once the cupcakes have become cool, cut their rounded tops off. I used a small steak knife, but any knife with a sharp serrated edge will do just fine. This will make it much easier for the final product to look fancy! I threw the rejected tops (and cupcakes I destroyed trying to get the tops off) into a plastic container. These rejects would be great for a chocolate fondue dessert or even just for you to “try out” your ganache on.
Icing the cakes
Now we can no longer call them cupcakes. They are rapidly evolving into our individual cakes. They are now ready to ice. If you know what plates you are going to serve them on, it is best to use those plates now and leave them on these plates until serving. Or, you can do what I did. I knew they would be traveling about 74 miles with me so I took some cleaned chinese and indian food containers ( you know, the clear little plastic containers that you get take-out soup in) and used their lids as the plate. This way all I would have to do is snap the bottom overtop of the cake like a miniature cake-saver.
The first thing you want to do is mix your edible glue up and put a dollop of it down on your surface. Next, adhere the cake to it, cut off part down on the glue. The next thing to do is get the chilled whipped cream and an icing knife. If you do not have an “icing knife” just use your widest, dullest, butter knife. The back of a spoon could work as well. Take a big glob of the whipped cream and put it on the top center of your little cake. Smoothen it all around the top and sides, adding more when necessary in order to smoothly cover the entire surface of the cake. **remember** Ice the icing not the cake! This way you won’t be dragging crumbs all over with you. Once you have gotten a smooth coverage on the cake, put it in the freezer for about a minute or two to help the whipped cream set. Do not leave them in the freezer for too long. We do not want them to freeze! If you are not ready to put the ganache on right away, you can store them in the fridge while you are waiting.
I used a small inexpensive food scale to weigh out my chocolate morsels.
Now we are ready to Make our Delicious Ganache!
I would have never guessed how easy making chocolate ganache can be. First, take out a medium-sized sauce pan. Pour your heavy cream into it put it on the stove over medium head and allow to boil. Once it has started to boil, remove it from the heat and add your chocolate morsels. Give it one stir. Cover. Let it sit off of the heat but covered for 5 minutes. Once the five minutes is up, the cream’s heat should have melted the chocolate. Stir the ganache. If you are finding that your chocolate did not melt, you can stir it over a very low heat until it is melted. Be care, though, because burn chocolate wont taste too good with this recipe. When your ganache is smooth, it is ready to use. I removed it from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes though because if it is too hot, it will melt right off of the cool whipped cream.
While the ganache is cooling, take out your cakes to allow them to get almost back to room temperature. Using a tablespoon or soup spoon, spoon ganache onto cake. It is your choice if you would like to only cover the top surface, allow the ganache to artistically pour over the edge, or even cover the whole thing. This is the fun part! Let your imagination run wild. I topped mine with a strawberry fan (raspberries were not in the stores yet 😦 Had I realized, I would’ve used strawberry flavoring) added when the ganache was still pliable to cement it into place.
Here you see the lid of the take-out container being used as a plate! Such a cheap and easy way to transport these fancy desserts!
Serve right away or seal your finished cakes in airtight containers and store overnight in the fridge.
Be proud of your creations and enjoy their delicate flavorful intricacies!
Tip Recap:
– Use the two halves of a cracked egg to separate the parts of the egg by moving the egg from one half to the other and back again until the white falls into the bowl.
– Use chilled bowls when making whipped cream
– Ice the icing not the cake
– Use upside-down take out containers as mini cake savers
An impressive and totally do-able dessert!
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