I knew that there was going to be a decent amount of children at the luncheon of Talia’s Christening and even though I find the pink champagne cupcakes to be super yummy, they do have a pretty prominent champagne taste… maybe not the most appealing flavor for those under the age of 6. I decided it would be a good idea to do something a little more kid-friendly, but equally as dressed up and delicious.
In keeping with the cherry blossom theme of the week, and in my excitement and longing to use the delectable Michigan black cherry preserves I’d been so overjoyed to find, I decided on a rich, chocolate cupcake wrapped around a black cherry buttercream… a semi-spin on a chocolate covered cherry. I hoped that this classic combination of flavors could be appreciated by party attendees of any age, but in order to further entice the younger crowd just a touch, I completed the cakes with colored sprinkles and chocolate candies atop the whipped white chocolate ganache.
The festive chocolate cakes were a huge hit at the luncheon, maybe even more so than the pink champagne cakes! I especially loved the overall texture and chocolate flavor of the slightly-sweet cakes… this just may be my new go-to chocolate cake recipe. And the subtle hint of cherry in the girly-pink buttercream filling was the perfect choice to honor the week of the Cherry Blossom Festival, the arrival of spring, and to celebrate the beautiful little girl who brought us all together that afternoon.
Chocolate Cupcakes with Black Cherry Filling & Whipped White Chocolate Ganache
Inspired by: Chocolate Covered Cherries
Chocolate Cupcakes
Adapted from Magnolia Bakery’s “Chocolate Cupcakes,” The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 tablespoon instant coffee granules
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
–recipe yield: about 24 cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tines with cupcake papers. Prepare a double boiler fitted with a small glass bowl filled with the unsweetened chocolate. Melt the chocolate over the double boiler and remove from heat. Stir in the instant coffee granules and set aside to cool to lukewarm.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars, beating until fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly drizzle in a small amount of the cooled chocolate, as to bring the mixture up to temperature without cooking and scrambling any of the egg. Continue to then add in the remaining chocolate, mixing until well-incorporated.
Slowly and in three equal batches, add the dry ingredients into the chocolate-butter mixture, alternating with two equal additions of the buttermilk and vanilla. With each addition, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not over-beat. When the batter is smooth and homogeneous, carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake-tester or toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tins for 15 minutes before removing them from the tins and transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Black Cherry Cream Cheese Buttercream Filling
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3-4 tablespoons Michigan black cherry preserves
about 1 ½ – 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
3/4 tablespoon heavy cream
In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until creamy and soft (about 3 minutes). Add in the preserves and continue to beat until well-incorporated. While mixing on a low speed, slowly add in the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary and continuing to add in the sugar until desired consistency and flavor is achieved. Drizzle in the heavy cream and increase the mixer speed to medium-high. Beat buttercream for another minute or so, or until fluffy. Transfer buttercream filling into a pastry or zip-lock bags to prepare to fill cupcakes.
Whipped White Chocolate Ganache
This is a basic whipped ganache recipe that compliments the chocolate cakes very well. Preparation should begin the day before serving.
24 ounces white chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
Prepare a double boiler fitted with a large glass bowl. Combine and melt together the white chocolate and 1 cup of the cream in the large bowl. Once fully melted and smooth, remove the mixture from the heat and allow to cool. Once the mixture has cooled, cover the bowl and transfer to the refrigerator to chill overnight.
Just before ready to frost cupcakes, remove the slightly hardened ganache from the fridge and allow to sit out and come to room temperature. Then, beat the softened mixture on medium-high speed, adding about 1/4 cup heavy cream to moisten the mixture, if necessary. Continue to whip the gananche until desired fluffy or stiffened texture is achieved. Remember to be careful not to over-whip the mixture, as over-whipping heavy cream can create butter.
When ready to frost cupcakes, transfer ganache into a pastry or zip-lock bag.
Optional Ingredients for Decorating:
M&M’s, candy coated chocolate covered almonds, jelly beans, colored candies, colored sprinkles, jimmies, etc.
Assembly:
Using a round apple corer or a small paring knife, hollow out the centers of each cupcake. Snip off the tip or a corner of the pastry or zip lock bag filled with the cherry-cream cheese buttercream and prepare to fill the cakes. To do this, insert the tip of the bag into the hollowed cake and squeeze a small amount of the filling into the cake, just until it plumps and the filling barely reaches the top of the cake. Continue to fill each cake, and when all cakes have been filled, replace the very tops of the inside “guts” that have been taken out of the cakes. I prefer to tear off the bottom half of the “guts” before plugging each of the cupcake holes with only the top piece.
To frost the cakes, I used pastry bags with a round tip and also one with a large star tip to pipe different swirls on the cakes. I used the M&M’s, almonds, jelly beans and other chocolate candies to create flower patterns, butterflies and dragonflies on the cakes, as well as some more simple decorations with a dusting of jimmies or sprinkles. Get creative!
pumpercake 