It’s been a while since I made cupcakes to include in the donations I make on Fridays. I like to keep things simple, especially in a busy week, and these cupcakes are actually the definition of simple: I use a method that mixes butter with flour from the beginning, no creaming needed. It makes a soft crumb, tender cake, and it is lightening fast to prepare. What’s not to like?
120g all-purpose flour 150g granulated sugar 40g butter, unsalted, removed from the fridge for 30 minutes 1 large egg 120mL milk 1 + 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract 1/4 tsp salt
Heat the oven to 350F and line a cupcake pan with paper baking cups. Recipe makes 9 to 10 cupcakes.
Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and butter cut in small pieces in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low until the butter is in very small pieces, almost like sand.
Whisk the egg with the milk and vanilla, add slowly to the mixer running in low-speed. Once it is almost smooth, increase the speed to high for a couple of minutes, scraping the bottom of the bowl once.
Stop the mixer and make sure the batter is fully smooth, mixing by hand with a spatula. Add batter to the 9 cupcakes, filling half-way full only. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
Comments: Leave a small portion of the buttercream without any color, and cover the top of the cupcakes. Dye one part orange and one part green (I used a mixture of Avocado and Leaf Green). For the design, my inspiration was a recent post by Chef Faye that she shared to make gorgeous mini-loaf cakes (check them out here). I used a medium size open star tip for the pumpkin, a small leaf tip and a PME #2 for the vines. A little golden sanding sugar for the border.
Really loved how these turned out and hope they made someone smile…
First things first, huge thank you to Chef Faye Palmqvist, who inspired me to get this special baking pan, and most importantly, stop hyperventiating about it and BAKE! You can marvel at her creations and learn a lot by visiting her site, her IG page, and also her Facebook page.
To make this cake, you need a special pan that leaves an opening in the center, thanks to the empty cylinder that slides into it through holes at the sides. (ordering info here)
It is a very clever system. If you don’t want to have the hole in the center, simply slide into the pan the insert that closes the holes, and bake a regular cake in it. If you place the cylinder, make sure to spray it with baking spray or coat it well with butter and flour it lightly.
For the cake component, I won’t share the recipe Chef Faye sent me, as it is from her copyrighted files, but you can use any marbled cake you like, just don’t make a huge batch. A recipe that calls for ONE EGG will be enough. I suggest this one although you will probably still have leftover cake batter if using the same pan I did. If you over-fill a bit, cake batter will spill out of the pan through the side holes or even from the top. Do not worry about it, just bake for about 40 minutes at 325F with the pan closed and after allowing it to cool for 10 minutes, you can slide the top open. I put the open pan in the fridge for 20 minutes after that to solidify things a bit before pulling the cylinder out. It worked like a dream, although my job doing the marbling was pretty pathetic… It was hard to judge what I was doing, especially with the cylinder in the middle of the the way. Next time will be easier.
The filling component… I used a soft-batch of brigadeiro to fill the empty space, my default recipe was published in the early years of my blog. Check it out here. Just don’t cook it all the way into rolling stage, stop when the mixture just starts pulling away from the sides of the pan but not furiously bubbling. I transferred to a shallow baking dish to cool faster, and filled the hole of the cake while it was still warm, but the cake cold from the fridge. It might be better to freeze the cake for a while, but I have not tried that this time.
To coat the cake, I used a mixture of compound chocolate, milk chocolate and grapeseed oil (150g compound chocolate, 75g milk chocolate, 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil). Melt gently, whisk until super smooth. Place the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes, then remove and coat the bottom. Let it set, if needed warm gently the coating so that it flows nicely, and coat the sides and top. Immediately add chocolate sprinkles for the traditional “brigadeiro” look. I sprayed a little gold luster because that’s how I roll. And apparently also how I cake.
Travel cakes last for several days at room temperature, that’s why they are called this way. In French, even more beautiful… Gateaux de voyage! What a dream!
I still consider it a work in progress. Better marbling, and a slightly thicker filling are my goals for the next adventure…
The big day is here, and I am already sad because it will be over so soon… These little cakes will please those who like spicy cakes not very sweet. I used the recipe that came with the Nordicware pan, a new acquisition I could not resist. It is available on many online stores and also at Walmart (check it out here). I added a glaze to the cakes to make the skull features more visible but the glaze is optional, if you find it too sweet, omit it, and maybe go with a super light dusting of powdered sugar once the cakes are fully cold.
SPICY SKULL MINICAKES (from The Bewitching Kitchen, adapted from Nordicware)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1 large egg 1/2 cup pure maple syrup 1 + 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 cup hot water
Heat oven to 350F. Prepare skull pan with baking spray.
Cream sugar and butter in a KitchenAid type mixer with the paddle attachment. Blend in the egg and maple syrup until smooth.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Slowly pour the dry mixture on the butter/sugar, and blend on low-speed until combined. Stir in the hot water. Fill each cavity with the smooth batter, not more than 1/2 the capacity.
Bake for about 12 minutes. Leave in the pan for 5 minutes, invert and cool completely.
Make the glaze by whisking all ingredients, adjust with milk or powdered sugar. Coat each skull cake with the glaze, let it set at room temperature.
Comments: I will definitely be using this pan next year, as I bought it too close to the big day and only had a chance to play with it once. The mini cakes are tender, moist and super spicy, going well with the overall atmosphere of the season. I hope you get to try this recipe… Two bites and they will be gone, a perfect little treat.
For a real scary version, you must go with Graveyard Brownies, another super cool recipe from Ghoulatheart. The second version takes the cute approach, and is also much simpler to make. But, first things first, let’s visit the graveyard.
1 cup all purpose flour 3 tbsp cocoa powder ½ tsp. salt ½ cup butter, room temperature 1 cup sugar ½ cup brown sugar 3 large eggs 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tbsp. red food coloring
1 cup milk chocolate melting wafers, divided 8 Oreo cookies, processed into crumbs
Make the skull decorations: Place ½ cup of the milk chocolate melting wafers into plastic bowl and microwave gently until melted. Pipe into the skull mold. Freeze for a few minutes, un-mold and reserve.
Make the cookie dirt. Process the Oreo cookies in a food processor until crumbs form. Transfer to a bowl. Reserve.
Make the Red Velvet Brownies: Heat oven to 350℉ and line a 8 x 8 x 2-inch brownie pan with parchment paper.
Cream together the butter and sugars in a stand mixer. Lightly whisk the eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring in a small bowl and add to the stand mixer and process on low until incorporated. Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt into a medium bowl and add it to the stand mixer and process on low until flour is incorporated. Take care to not overmix. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove brownies from oven and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup chocolate chips over the top of the brownies. Let it sit for 2 minutes to melt the chips and then smooth the chocolate with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle cookie crumbs over the melted chocolate and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Garnish with chocolate skull chips over the cookie crumbs and allow to cool completely before cutting into 16 pieces.
Comments: Super fun bake! To make the little skulls, I used this mold. I used candy melts because I did not want to have to temper chocolate, but feel free to splurge! The skulls won’t be fully glued to the brownie, let your guests know about it so that they don’t spill skulls on the floor…
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HALLOWEEN BROWNIE CUPCAKES
Recipe for those can be found in this blog post from my past. I used Chai frosting for them. Orange dye, sprinkles and candy eyes. So simple! And delicious…
It is a bit hard to see Halloween at the corner and then ready to say goodbye for another year… Once again, I did not have a chance to bake all things I wanted to, but I will be back in 2025 for more!
Today I share three delicious recipes that center on that dreamy ingredient that almost every human being loves: chocolate. I have known a few members of our species who claim to “hate” chocolate, and my hope is that they get their genomes sequenced to solve the mystery. Anyway, I digress. The first recipe comes from my favorite baker-instructor-guru, Helen Fletcher. These are beyond amazing and not for the faint of heart. Rich. Decadent. Luscious. Special. They are Double Chocolate Truffled Muffins!
For the truffle component: ½ cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (30 grams) 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (25 grams) 5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (140 grams) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
for the muffin component: 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (210 grams) 1 cup Dutch cocoa (85 grams) ¼ teaspoon baking powder ¾ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt (I use table salt) 1 ⅓ cups brown sugar, either dark or light (265 grams) ½ cup whole milk ¾ cup canola or vegetable oil 2 large eggs 1 cup sour cream (225 grams) 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder 1 cup chocolate chunks (114 grams)
Start by making the truffle filling: Heat the cream, butter and sugar together in a small saucepan just until steamy. Do not let it come to a boil. Submerge the chocolate under the cream mixture and let it sit for 3 or 4 minutes. Whisk until smooth, making sure to get into the corners. Using a rubber spatula, go around the edges of the pan and bottom to make sure all of the chocolate is incorporated. Add the vanilla. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and set aside to cool.
Make the muffins: Line 9 jumbo muffin holes with paper liners. Set aside. Heat the oven to 425°F.
Sift the flour into a large bowl. Sift the cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt on top of the flour. Whisk together to mix well. In a very small bowl stir together the coffee or espresso and vanilla until the coffee or espresso is dissolved.
In a third smaller bowl, whisk together the milk, canola oil, eggs, sour cream, and coffee mixture. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon or fold together with a rubber spatula just until everything is mixed well. Do not over mix.
With a #8 disher/scooper or a ½ cup measure, drop the batter into the paper lined muffin cups for the jumbo muffins. Top generously with the chocolate chunks. Bake at 425°F for exactly 6 minutes for the jumbo and lower the temperature to 350°F. Continue to bake for about 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool the muffins.
Starting about ½” from the edge of a muffin, insert a paring knife slanted towards the middle of the muffin and go all the way around the muffin. Remove the wedge shaped cake and set aside intact. To enlarge the hole for more filling, use a small spoon and scoop out additional cake.
Fit a piping bag with a ½” tip, fill with the truffle filling and pipe into the hole almost up to the top. Alternately, spoon the filling in. Replace the wedge shape piece pushing it into the filling.
Comments: Please make sure to read Helen’s blog post about them, as she gives detailed explanation of their origin and how she adapted the recipe to make it more user-friendly without any loss of deliciousness (I can testify to that, they are spectacular). The pictures do not make it justice, as so often is the case with brown food. Their texture is superb, and that filling is unreal! Thank you thank you thank you, Helen!
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Moving on to the second recipe, credit goes to my beloved husband, who suggested that instead of coating Oreos with chocolate, I could do small pieces of brownies. I used a very small pan from Wilton to bake them. Without further ado…
1 cup all-purpose flour (130g) 1 cup granulated sugar (200g) 1/3 cup cocoa powder (35g) 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 egg, lightly beaten 3 tablespoons milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
to coat: compound chocolate like Candy Melts or Almond Bark to decorate: sprinkles (optional)
Heat the oven to 350°F. Prepare the pan with baking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Add vegetable oil, egg, milk and vanilla extract; stir well until smooth. Divide batter evenly between cavities, smoothing into an even layer (about 1 tablespoon per cavity). Bake for 13-16 minutes, or until edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Cool in pan on a cooling rack 5-10 minutes, loosen edges if necessary, and remove. Let cool completely on the rack.
Melt the compound chocolate until smooth using gentle power in the microwave. If too thick, add a small amount of coconut oil (refined). Coat the bites and decorate right away, or after setting, if going with drizzles of melted compound chocolate.
Comments: I got this pan at a sale in Jo-Ann store in town, and of course, could not resist it (info here). You can use silicone pans, or any other type of pan that makes mini-cakes. To coat, you can use two different methods. First, just melt the chocolate in a bowl and dip the cake to coat. That will give a rustic appearance, and you can add sprinkles right away. Second method will require you to clean the pan, then add melted chocolate in each cavity and quickly place the cake inside, pressing a bit so that the chocolate moves up along the sides. You can coat the bottom or not. Let it harden, remove from the pan, and if desired, make decorations with swirls of melted chocolate, I used white for that. Below you can see the different outcome.
And now for the last recipe, what might seem like your regular chocolate chip cookie, but it is truly special, due to the inclusion of an unexpected ingredient: buttermilk. You must give this recipe a try!
BUTTERMILK CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
BUTTERMILK CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (slightly modified from Yesterfood blog)
2 cups flour (260g) 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter, unsalted, melted 3/4 cup cocoa powder (75g) 1 + 1/2 cups sugar (300g) 1 teaspoon vanilla 2/3 cup buttermilk 1 (12 oz.) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the cocoa powder and melted butter until very smooth. Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and buttermilk until well combined.
Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in thirds, stirring each time just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Scoop cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheets by heaping tablespoonfuls about 2″ apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies are puffed, edges are set, and center is still moist. Place cookie sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes, then remove cookies onto wire racks to cool completely. Store tightly covered.
Comments: These cookies will definitely please any chocolate lover out there. It almost feels as if you are having a brownie. Excellent texture, I reduced the sugar from the published version and I think it was a good move. I do hope you give it a try…
So, that’s all for now, three real nice recipes celebrating chocolate!
Bewitching Kitchen 