Eariler in the month I received a cupcake order from a work colleaugue – the theme???
St. Patricks Day!!!
I decided to use a moist chocolate cake recipe I had used for a birthday by Barefoot Contessa.
This cake recipe is extremely moist and will stay so for weeks!!
I followed the recipe and sifted all the dry ingredients together before adding the wet ingredients (except the cup of coffee).
Once brewed, let the coffee cool down and then slowly add to the mixture. The final cake batter will be quite runny but not to fret!!
the batter will be quite runny – but don’t worry!
As usual, I used an ice cream scoop to measure out my cupcake batter to keep each cupcake consistent and level. Cake supply stores are now beginning to stock them but I found mine for just a few dollars in a bargain/two dollar shop 🙂
Use an ice cream scoop to keep your cupcakes consistent!
As I was using a cake recipe for small cupcakes, I reduced the baking time to 18-20 minutes.
Fresh out of the oven!
For icing, I always prefer Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Whilst it sounds scary (dissolving sugar and egg whites in a double boiler first) it’s not that hard and is so much lighter than standard buttercream. Swiss Meringue Buttercream is also much glossier and will hold its shape a lot better in higher room temperatures!
Swiss Meringue Buttercream in the making!
Once the butter is added to the whipped sugar and egg whites, the buttercream will deflate quite a bit and will look like it’s curdled before coming together and fluffing up again. For the colouring, I used an Americolor gel – forest green – color. Food gels will give you a much nicer colour than liquid gels.
I used Americolor Gel food colouring – Forest Green
You can keep Swiss Meringue Buttercream in an airtight container in the fridge for one week and in the freezer for a couple of months! Simply re-whip once at room temperature or place over a double boiler before whipping.
And finally… the finished product with my signature rosette swirl, a smiley shamrock and shamrock confetti purchased from Cakes Around Town.
Final credits go to my little helper ‘Boss’ the English Staffy!!
Boss – my little English Staffy helper
Beatty’s Chocolate Cake (Serves 8)
Copyright 2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten, Clarkson/Potter Publishers, All Rights Reserved
Butter for greasing the pans
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
¾ cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
½ cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed coffee
Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Yield: ~ 10 cups of buttercream
- 10 large, fresh egg whites (300 g)
- 2-1/2 cups (500 g) sugar
- 3 cups (680 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and cool, but not cold
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon (20 ml) pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer with paper towel and lemon juice, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 160°F, or if you don’t have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
- With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes or so). *Don’t begin adding butter until the bottom of the bowl feels neutral, and not warm.
- Switch over to paddle attachment and, with mixer on low speed, add butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). *If mixture is too runny, refrigerate for about 15 minutes and continue mixing with paddle attachment until it comes together. Add vanilla and salt, continuing to beat on low speed until well combined.
- Add additional flavours, purees, as desired.
Notes
*Keep in airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week, leaving out at room temperature when needed, rewhipping in mixer for 5 minutes.
**Can freeze for up to 6-8 weeks. To thaw, place on counter overnight, and rewhip for 5 minutes with paddle attachment in an electric mixer.
***If buttercream still doesn’t have its satiny finish after rewhipping, microwave 1/3 of the buttercream for approximately 10 seconds and add to remaining buttercream in mixer bowl, beating for a few moments to incorporate.
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