Chocolate Velvet Cupcakes Recipes

CHOCOLATE VELVET CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat all cupcake ingredients except chocolate chips with electric mixer on medium speed about 2 minutes, or until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
• Bake 18 to 24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out almost clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from muffin pans. Cool completely.
• In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in butter flavor until icing is creamy. Place in decorating bag fitted with tip; pipe large swirls on tops of cupcakes. Top with chocolate curls. Store covered in refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE VELVET CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Microwave morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals.
• Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate; beat until blended.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla.
• Place 36 paper baking cups in 3 (12-cup) muffin pans; spoon batter into cups, filling three-fourths full.
• Bake at 350° for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Remove from pans to wire racks, and let cool completely (about 45 minutes).
• Cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until butter begins to turn golden brown. Immediately remove from heat. Pour butter into a bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour or until butter is cool and begins to solidify.
• Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla.
• Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Garnish, if desired.

STUFFED RED VELVET CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE

Steps:

• 1. For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Sift the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, sour cream, food coloring, vinegar, vanilla and egg.
• 2. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Divide evenly among the cupcake liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out with a few moist crumbs, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the tin and cool completely on a wire rack.
• 3. Meanwhile, for the filling: Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in the butter until smooth. Sift the confectioners' sugar over the mixture and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and salt, and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape into a pastry bag fitted with a medium tip. Insert the tip vertically about 1-inch into the top of each cupcake and pipe in some filling. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. (Wipe off the tip if there are crumbs sticking to it.)
• 4. For the chocolate glaze: Put the chocolate in a mixing bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just simmers. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. Then gently stir until smooth and glossy. Cool the glaze slightly. Spread 1 tablespoon of glaze on top of each cupcake or dip the top of the cupcake in the glaze.