Ingredients
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 6 ounces butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Ganache, recipe follows
- Violet Buttercream, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Whisk together boiling water and cocoa. Cover and set aside. With a mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue creaming until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder and add this mixture, alternately with the buttermilk. Add cocoa and water mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Scoop into cupcake pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Let cool completely before decorating. Dip tops of cooled cupcakes in the warm ganache and let set. Pipe more ganache on top for decoration. To fill, put buttercream in a pastry bag with a small round tip. Stick tip into the center of each cupcake and pipe in filling. Be careful not to pipe too much or you will break the cupcake. Serve.
Ganache:
8 ounces chocolate
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Chop chocolate and place in a stainless steel or glass bowl. Bring cream and sugar just to a boil in a small saucepan and then pour over chocolate. Whisk together and then stir in butter until melted.
Violet Buttercream:
4 ounces egg whites
6 ounces sugar
8 ounces butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon violet essence
Violet food coloring
Whisk together the egg whites and sugar in a stainless steel bowl. Place bowl in a water bath set over low heat. Whisk occasionally until sugar is dissolved and mixture is very warm, about 150 degrees F. Remove from water bath and whip with a hand-held mixer on high speed until stiff peaks. Lower speed and add the butter in small pieces. Add vanilla and violet essence and mix until smooth. Add violet color, 1 drop at a time, until desired shade is reached. Use to fill cupcakes as directed above.
* Home Cook
Food Network Kitchens have not tested this recipe and therefore cannot make representation as to the results.
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By natalie.1.weed
on January 29, 2011
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Good overall recipe. I ran out of eggs and had to use an egg substitute; it turned out fine. There was a lot of leftover frosting and ganache, but I used a different recipe for the buttercream. The cupcakes themselves were absolutely delicious, and were very easy to make. I didn't use any flavorings for the buttercream, but it turned out well anyways.
By suziethefoodie
HRM, Nova Scotia
on April 08, 2010
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Light and airy, these cupcakes were delicious. I did not want to make 36 cupcakes, that is a lot to decorate! So I added a little more of the batter to the muffin tins and still baked just for 20 minutes and they turned out perfectly and were not oversized, just right. I used an orange cream cheese frosting instead of the ganache because I love chocolate and orange together. Used real orange juice and zest for the frosting with sprinkled the top with clear crystals and a silver ball. You can see them on my blog, I made them to celebrate its first birthday. ~ suziethefoodie
By bonnie.carranza...
Edison, 70
on March 29, 2010
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These cupcakes were so light, fluffy and delicious! They are not that much more work than a cake mix and the results are amazing. The buttermilk makes them so moist, and the cake flour makes them light. We had a late night cupcake craving and we had them mixed and out of the oven in 35 minutes. Because it was late, I made twelve cupcakes and baked the rest in mini-loaf pans. I baked the mini loaf pan for about 35 minutes and it turned out great!!!
Read all 15 reviews