I'm back at my place. Classes have finally began, and the holiday's officially over. To be perfectly honest, I'm glad it is. All that fatty, sugary goodness have had my jeans begging for mercy. Now, contrary to popular beliefs, I do watch what I eat and how much of it, it's just during the holidays that is much easier said than done. See, I get this involuntary reaction every time I see a refrigerator. I just have to open it. It doesn't matter if I'm full, half-asleep and/or otherwise, I will always reach for that door and pull. Which is not a problem if the fridge in question is filled with fresh healthy treats that satisfy my hunger pangs but keep all my buttons intact, but when it's stocked to the max with a vast array of dairies and desserts, well, it’s not a pretty sight, gluttony is very unbecoming, so I’ve been told.
That is, in a nutshell, why I am glad to be back. See here, I am the master of my universe. I can at least try and make an effort to eat healthier. What's that? You don't believe me? Fine, I'll prove it to you. As of this writing, my fridge manifest reads like the who's who of the whole foods section. Fresh strawberries and grapes, a carton of milk, a box of Belcube swiss cheese, organic eggs, 2 bags of baby spinach, fresh soy milk, unsweetened orange juice, streaky bacon, organic peanut butter, tofu & tempe, honey marinated chicken breasts, fresh eureka lemons and a cupcake. Huh? Huh? Not bad right? A few questionable items but overall? who's being all grown up and sensible?
Ok, so there's no way to actually prove it to you because I'm too lazy to take a picture, but umm, cross my heart and hope to die stick a needle in my eye those are the things my fridge contains. There's a story behind that cupcake too, mainly that I made it. It was my last chance to bake one before I left my folks'. Here it is. My double trouble chocolate cup cake with peanut butter filling.
So I brought these babies to a get-together at my friend's house and boy, were they a hit. And why wouldn't they be, I mean look at it. That deep brown colour, the smoothness and simplicity of the frosting. A real no-nonsense, melt-in-your-mouth-like-buttah cupcake. Plus, they're not too sweet and, given the richness of the cake, only little frosting is needed. Although I do have to warn you, it might be necessary to chased these cakes down with a tall glass of cold milk.
What you need for the cupcakes:
- 60 gr bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 30 ml of coffee
- 100 ml heavy cream, or milk.
- 120 gr butter
- 150 gr sugar
- 150 gr cake flour
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tbsp baking soda
- 2 eggs, room temp, separated
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Peanut Butter Filling
- 6 tbsp peanut butter
- 8 tbsp heavy cream
Whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in half of the dry ingredients, then add the cream or milk, then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until blended.
Whip the egg whites till stiff, then fold into the mixture. Be careful not to overfold the mixture. Just fold until there are no white streaks left. Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake for about 25 minutes, until the batter feels just set in the center. Remove from the oven, then let cool for a few minutes.
When the cakes are completely cool, cut a deep hole in the middle then pipe in the peanut butter filling. Cover the hole back.
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
adapted from MarthaStewart.com
Now, I have to be honest, I had a little accident while melting the chocolate so I had to substitute it with cocoa powder. Not the same thing at all, but luckily it still tasted delicious.
- 75 gr good-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 50 gr butter
Heat the cream, then pour over the chocolate. Set it aside until the chocolate melts then whisk. Add the butter and stir well. Let it cool completely before frosting.
Yield: 12 Cupcakes
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