While the cupcakes look innocent enough… Looks can be deceiving.
This last weekend I set out to bake cupcakes. I received a request for chocolate cupcakes to be exact, and I thought strawberries would be a good complement to the chocolate cake.
Hey why not have a chocolate cupcake with strawberry frosting and top it with some chocolate covered strawberries (as a play on the chocolate and strawberry components of the cupcakes).
The idea was flawlessly executed in my head. Chocolate cupcakes can’t be too difficult – only – I didn’t have a recipe that I liked. So I looked it up and found a recipe for Magnolia Chocolate cupcakes. This recipe featured real chocolate, so I decided to give it a try.
Whipped strawberry frosting – I’d done this so many times this couldn’t be too difficult. This time I decided I’d go with a buttercream instead this time just to switch it up.
As I was finishing the batter for the chocolate cupcakes (with chocolate batter splattered all over my T-shirt of course) I didn’t feel too happy about the faint chocolate color and fluffy texture of the batter. I was hoping for a richer, glossier texture especially since it featured real chocolate. I contemplated melting some more chocolate into the batter to ‘fix’ it, but against my better judgment I decided to go with the standard recipe.
I popped in the cupcakes for 20 minutes. And started on my chocolate covered strawberries. I started up my double boiler, turned it down, then put the milk chocolate on the double boiler. It melted, then suddenly it dried out!I immediately added butter to save this endeavor. SAVED. Strawberries – coated and done.
Then the timer went off. And as I had suspected the cake did not have the rich chocolately flavor, and was dry. Perhaps a bit overcooked…. but fortunately NOT hopeless. I was hoping that the frosting may just save this dull cake.
So I began whipping my softened butter, adding the confectioner’s sugar. I added the strawberry puree little by little into the mix. When it wasn’t the color, flavor or texture I desired, I got impatient and dumped the whole mixture of strawberry puree into the butter. BIG MISTAKE. THe butter immediately hardened from the cold puree and as much as I whipped it, it had this waxy texture that was just unbearable. I tossed the mixture into the wastebasket.
Defeated and upset, I was about to wave the white flag, dump the cupcakes, and drive to the nearest Baked and Wired or Georgetown Cupcake, and just spend another 30+ dollars on purchasing a dozen cupcakes.
I called the birthday boy and said – sorry, but my cupcakes are a fail, so I’m going to drive to Georgetown to get you a real batch.
Then I took a few deep breaths, found my calm, and realized this was not a lost cause – All I need is some heavy cream and I everything I need to whip up some whipped strawberry frosting. So downstairs I went, to pick up some heavy cream from the convenience store.
With my goods I came up stairs, whipped up my frosting, spread it on the cupcakes, then topped it with the chocolate covered strawberries.
Unfortunately the frosting couldn’t mask the dryness of the cake, but all in all it wasn’t a COMPLETE fail. Just a partial one. It was pretty if not the tastiest, and people actually seemed to enjoy it.
Lessons learned – never overbake a cupcake – never lose your cool – think on your toes and improvise – people aren’t as picky as you are ….
Some additional notes: Toss and BURN the Magnolia Chocolate cupcake recipe – Find a good recipe for a rich, decadent chocolate cake.
Cheers!
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