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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

TWD: Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes

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Clara of I Heart Food4Thought has chosen the Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie pick. Clara, I Heart YOU!! No surprise that I've had my eye on this recipe for a while. I mean, seriously. Chocolate. And Chocolate. And Cupcakes. What's not to love? Since it is Halloween this coming Friday, Clara thought it would be fun to decorate our cupcakes for Halloween and I agreed... sort of. So, I was going to try to make some of those little candy pumpkins to go on my cupcakes, but I just ran out of time, had a sick five year old in the house and a migraine to boot. Bottom line, I am just glad I got these made and posted. Anyway, I don't want to whine about the lousy last few days, so let's just focus on the cupcakes shall we? Alrighty then.

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Now you may have noticed that my cupcakes don't look like Chocolate-Chocolate since there are Oreos involved. I have been wanting to try making a cookies and cream kind of frosting for a while now. I didn't want to lose the ganache either though, so I decided to fill the cupcakes with the bittersweet ganache Dorie suggests in the sidebar. I then made a cream cheese buttercream with oreo crumbs for the top and an extra oreo treat. This was quite the moist and delicious little combination but...

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I actually ate three (yes, I admit, three) of these cupcakes before they had anything done to them at all and they were moist and delicious. I was a bit dubious about how these were going to turn out since there was quite the discussion going on with the P&Q this week on the TWD blog. Lots of dry cupcakes, lots of questioning why. Why? I don't know - but that was the big debate. Mine were fantastic. I decided that where I usually fiddle around with recipes, this time I wouldn't, just so I could see what happened. Here is what I did though, to try to help figure it all out and see if it helps anyone:

- I did the 'scoop and sweep' method Dorie outlines in the back of the book. I then weighed the flour to find out how much it actually was in case worked and the cupcakes were moist. It was a scant 4oz. I used unbleached all-purpose flour.

- I heard/read somewhere once that when making cakes it is always a good idea to let all of your ingredients be at room temperature, so I let them all be pretty close to room temperature. Whether this helped or not I couldn't say for sure, but they were perfect for me, so you be the judge.

- I let the oven preheat and get all the way up to temperature. I set the timer for my cupcakes at 15 minutes. I checked my cupcakes - oven light only at that point - and they still needed time (no surprise) but not too much. I always check a little early because my gas oven runs hot. I didn't bake them more than 20 minutes, which is when a toothpick came out clean for me (clean being, not gooey, but a couple of little crumbs stuck to them).

I think that was pretty much it. They were perfect, moist, chocolately and had a nice and tender crumb. I actually thought it was the best chocolate cake recipe I've had in a while. I really liked the use of both the cocoa and the melted chocolate. It definitely isn't the prettiest picture, but here is a shot of a halved cupcake so you can see the interior crumb. I hope this is helpful to anyone who didn't have such great results.

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Cookies & Cream Frosting
5 oz cream cheese, softened
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
5 Oreo cookies, processed to crumbs

Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and cream and beat on low to incorporate. Once mixed together, turn speed to high and beat approximately 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the cookie crumbs on low and just mix in lightly. Pipe as desired and sprinkle with additional cookie crumbs if desired.

Make sure to check out the TWD blogroll to see lots and lots of fun chocolatey cupcakes this week! If you want to join TWD this is your last chance since the group for Baking From My Home To Yours will be ending on Halloween! Don't miss out on the fun and get your book now!

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Would You Like A Little Cupcake?
(Adapted from poem by Mary Howitt titled Walk Into My Parlor)

"Would you like a little cupcake?"said the spider to the little boy;
"Tis the prettiest little cupcake - it could be better than a toy."
"This cupcake has your favorite cookie in the frosting piped so high,
and inside you will even find a curious, chocolatey surprise."
"Oh no!" said the little boy," to ask me is in vain;
For when you were not looking with the cupcake I already ran away."
Happy Halloween!

39 comments:

Sihan said...

Yes! first to comment! i love the last shot. Looks like a scene out of Lord of the Rings with the giant spider. The cupcakes with the oreo toppings spell e-x-t-r-a-v-a-g-a-n-c-e!!!

Nancy/n.o.e said...

Love your Halloween tableau! And a bonus poem. Sorry about your tough few days. I had a little migraine when I baked these as well. But I wasn't planning on any cute candy pumpkins. What a great idea to put the ganache in as a filling! That oreo frosting looks yummy.
Nancy

Susan @ SGCC said...

Your cupcakes look positively scrumptious! I am definitely going to have to try out that frosting. I love your little Halloween vignettes too! Beautiful job!

Manggy said...

You did everything right :) A few fine crumbs on a toothpick is exactly where it should be. I'm so happy for you-- that they chose a chocolate-chocolate recipe, hahaha! :) They look so moist and delicious!

Cristine said...

Way cute! I did oreo filling for my daughters second birthday and it was a hit! Can't go wrong with oreos!

Peabody said...

Mmm, Oreos. They make everything better!

Shelby said...

Your cupcakes look awesome! Love them!

chocolatechic said...

Oh...Wow!

What a great idea.

LyB said...

That icing is genius! Holly, your cupcakes look fabulous! :)

Anonymous said...

Ha, what a perfect poem. Glad you liked them!

Isabelle Lambert said...

c'est super bien imaginé...ça ferait presque peur :)

Nikki57 said...

Ohhh yum Oreo frosting. They look adorable!

vibi said...

Mmmm... Oreo is such a great idea! ...and coincidentaly, the colors are very appropriate for the spider web season! LOL

kimberly salem said...

yum!!! SUCH a great idea to fill them with the glaze. your oreo frosting looks delicious... my mouth is watering :)

Beryl said...

Love your pics0 they are awesome! I always end up losing baked goods to "quality control" too!

Amy said...

Those look sinfully delicious! I love the ominous halloween picture at the bottom. creative!

Aussiemuminthekitchen said...

Holly...those turned out wonderfully! You truly are a phemomenon! Where did you get the cute spider from? I'm so sad I didn't get to come and help you. I hope you and Aidan are feeling much better today! I am looking forward to our raincheck!

Jamie said...

Those look amazing! I love oreos!

Susie Homemaker said...

holly! These look so great! I hope you are feeling better - I know lots has been going on, so VENT if you need, I am here!

Engineer Baker said...

Wow, that frosting sounds amazing. Cream cheese frostings are my favorite, and you can't go wrong with oreos! Glad they turned out well for you.

CB said...

Poor thing. Migraines are no fun. Your cookies & cream frosting looks delicious! Love all your pictures. Question: What tip to do you use to pipe the frosting in the 3rd picture? I love how fat and round they are! Thanks for baking with me this week!
Clara @ iheartfood4thought

marae said...

Fabulous!! Mine weren't dry either but I tend to underbake choco cupcakes by 1-2 minutes because they go from being perfect to dry in no time. Overbaking will do it to chocolate every time. LOVE The cookies and cream variation!

TeaLady said...

These look fantastic. But then, I would expect nothing less. Even with a migrane. Hope you are better now. Maybe the cup cakes will make you all well again. Cute poem. Great pics. Fantastic Spider.

betty geek said...

Why do you have to make me look bad? HAHA! I absolutely love your Halloween spirit! Thanks for sharing and Happy Halloween! Awesome pics! You rock!

Maria said...

Oh I can't wait to try your frosting. It looks so good! I love the Halloween theme!!

Steph said...

Those look perfect! That frosting reminds me of ice cream. It looks like you had a lot of fun decorating your cupcakes.

jenniferhoiyin said...

these look fabulous! :) I love the poem at the end.

Tammy said...

that frosting looks so delicious!

Rebecca of "Ezra Pound Cake" said...

A sick child AND a migraine? Kudos to you for stopping at three cupcakes! You're a better woman than I. ;)

Unknown said...

Wow! Great job girl! I love your pics!

Mary Ann said...

Your cupcakes look perfect and I might just have to make them again because your cookies and cream frosting has me seriously excited. I am glad you included your hints about baking in general. I was really surprised so many people ended up with dry cupcakes.

Unknown said...

Wow, your frosting looks so delicious! Oreos....yum!! Awesome photos!

Marthe said...

Great frosting: looks absolutely delicious!

Kayte said...

Very nice...you are so creative. Love the blog and all I learn from it each week. Thanks for sharing...photos and food look great!

Shari said...

That's a cute poem! I found my cake moist too, but thanks for listing all that you did to ensure that result! Oreos are always a hit around here!

steph- whisk/spoon said...

those look awesome--love cookies & cream! happy halloween!

Teanna DiMicco said...

I would have eaten FIVE of those! Oreo cupcakes are my FAVORITE!

Snooky doodle said...

wow these surely satisfy a chocoalte craving ;)

Serena@TentarNonNuoce said...

Hi Holly!
first i want to tell you that i love your blog! (who doesn't uh? :) )

also i wanted to ask where i can get the recipe for these cupcakes, 'cause the link to clara's blog doesn't work, i mean, it does, but i think the post with the recipe got cancelled :(
could you maybe suggest another link to this recipe? :(

i'd be really grateful

Serena

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