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black forest cupcake

Black Forest Cupcakes Recipe

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Ingredients
  

For the Cupcakes:

  • 3 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate
  • 3/4 cup Butter
  • 2 cup Flour
  • 1 3/4 cup Sugar
  • 3 TBL Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 1 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
  • 1/2 cup Buttermilk**
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 tsp. Vanilla
  • 1 cup Boiling Water

For the Filling:

  • 1 can Cherry Pie Filling
  • Or 1 Glass of Morello Cherries I prefer the sour Morello Cherries, kids like sweet Pie filling... You choose
  • Kirschwasser

Whipped Cream and Topping:

  • 2 cups Heavy Cream
  • 4 Tbl Superfine or granulated Sugar
  • Bar of Chocolate for Shaving
  • **note** if you don't have buttermilk and don't feel like buying buttermilk, you can make this quick substitution- add 1 tsp of lemon juice to 1 cup of milk, let it sit 5 minutes, use as buttermilk. It will look curdled, this is normal.

Instructions
 

  • Preheat Oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners

Cupcakes:

  • Set some water on to boil (you'll need a cup of boiling water)
  • Melt the Unsweetened Chocolate and butter together. I usually use a Pyrex Measuring Cup and a microwave for this, but you can use a double boiler on the stove top.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and baking soda. Mix it up a bit.
  • Turn on the mixer, and pour in the chocolate/butter mixture... mix to combine.
  • The mixture will look thick at this point, don't worry, it will loosen up.
  • Add the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla.... mix until combined.
  • Slowly add the boiling water... SLOWLY, or you'll be wearing it (you do have an apron on, right?).
  • Run mixer on medium until everything is all mixed up and smooth-ish.
  • Scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake liners. I use an ice cream scoop with a thumb release for this (keeps it neat), but you can use a spoon. (You want to fill the standard cupcake liners 2/3 full.)
  • Bake 20 minutes.
  • Let cool on a rack.... (Don't even THINK about trying to fill and frost these cupcakes until they cool.. what a mess.)
  • They cool? Did you touch them? On the bottom too?

Filling:

  • If you are using Cherry pie filling (the kids really like the sweetness) open the can.
  • If you are using Sour Morello Cherries, drain them in a strainer (I like to collect the juice to drink)

Put the Cupcakes Together:

  • Using a spoon or a scoop (I have a concave coffee scoop that is perfect for this job).... scoop the top out of the cupcake
  • Brush or Sprinkle the top of the cupcake and the cavity with Kirschwasser.
  • Fill the cavity with some cherry filling or a few cherries, and drop the bit back on top.
  • ++you might have to cut a little of the bottom off of the scooped bit so that it fits better
  • If you like, sprinkle or brush on a bit more Kirschwasser.

Frost and Decorate:

  • It is traditional to cover a Black Forest Cake with Whipped Cream, so, Whip up the Cream along with the sugar until you get stiff peaks. Don't over whip and make butter.
  • Pipe or spread on the whipped cream. I like to make a swirl.
  • Spoon a cherry onto the top.
  • Chocolate Shavings- Take a chocolate bar and a vegetable peeler.... run along the edge of a chocolate bar like it was a carrot.
  • NOTE- do this over a plate, then sprinkle onto the cupcakes, this gives you more control over the look. HOWEVER- handling the chocolate curls with your fingers could cause them to melt. You decide what you want to do.
  • Serve / Eat