Think quick, what is that one childhood sweet treat that you hold dear to your heart up to this day? Mine is a chocolate cupcake topped with a thick layer of dark chocolate icing. That cupcake was my one of two (the other being a brownie) favorite sweets to take to school. Sometimes classes would run too long that I would scuttle hastily to eat my cupcake! One day, because of my rush to eat it, I dropped it smack on its crown! Picture a five year old holding an empty cupcake wrapper staring down forlornly at the dusty school grounds where her day’s sugary indulgence had just landed. Though I can smile now at that memory, at that time it was pretty gut-wrenching (pun intended) to lose my precious cupcake!

After finding much success with Brownies, it seems befitting to do the same with cupcakes... rediscover that piece of childhood nostalgia that evokes a feeling of utter chocolate contentment.

           So what sparked this trip down memory lane? Why, the popular event, Sugar High Friday, of course! This time it’s "SHF #27" , hosted by David Lebovitz  with the theme: Chocolate by Brand.

I am very particular when it comes to chocolate desserts; the chocolate has to take center stage. I have had much success with the Valrhona and Scharffen Berger brands… I use the former’s block chocolate and the latter’s cocoa powder and nibs a lot in my baking and experimental adventures.

I have recently acquired a packet of Valrhona cocoa powder and wanted to try it out. The color was such a deep chocolate it really peaked my curiosity, will it keep its dark color when mixed in with flour and baked? Then came the recipe selection. I thought it was déjà vu when I saw two recipes called Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes. One was from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home to Yours, and the other by Stephanie Hersch from the book The Essence of Chocolate. This gave me the idea of baking not one but two different recipes of this well-loved baked sweet. As I scrutinized the recipe, I observed that both used cocoa powder, however the similarity ends there. Aside from the obvious egg, flour and butter ingredients, one recipe uses buttermilk and additional melted chocolate while the other uses plain milk. Truly interesting (as I scratch my chin in anticipation)! To achieve a true test, I should, in fact, use the same cocoa powder for both recipes but I decided that that would be just too boring. I wanted this round of cupcake baking spree to be enjoyable/pleasurable so I threw out all the Test Kitchen rules about not changing too many variables at the same time. After all who would want their two cupcake recipes to potentially taste the same. It was not hard to decide which brand to use for which recipe. The obvious reason that since Stephanie Hersch's concoction was from the Scharffen Berger book, I used the cocoa powder with the same name. I used Valrhona for Dorie’s recipe that she labeled as a cupcake for grown ups which kind of went with my impression of Valrhona as a grown up chocolate largely due to its black packaging.

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcake #1

           Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking From My Home To Yours”

For the cupcake

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Valrhona unsweetened)

¼ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 stick (8 tbs) unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

½ cup buttermilk

2 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

For the glaze

3 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (Valrhona bittersweet 70%)

1 tbs confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2 tbs cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fit the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan with paper muffin cups, or butter them with flour and tap out the excess.

To make the cupcakes:

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

            Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until it is blended into the butter. Add the egg, then the yolk, beating 1 minute after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the vanilla, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear. Scrape down the bowl and add the buttermilk, mixing until incorporated, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate and mix it in with the rubber spatula.  Divide the batter evenly among the muffin molds.

            Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the tops of the cakes are dry and springy to the touch and a knife inserted into their centers comes out clean. Transfer the muffin pan to a rack and let the cakes cool for 5 minutes before unmolding. Cool to room temperature on the rack before glazing.

To make the Glaze

            Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of shimmering water. Transfer the bowl to the counter and let stand for  5 minutes.

            Using a small whisk or rubber spatula, stir the confectioners’ sugar into the chocolate, followed by the pieces of cold butter. The glaze may be very thin at this point or may be perfectly spreadable. If it is too thin to spread or use as a dip (I often dip the tops of the cakes into the ganache, then give the cakes a little twirl as I pull them out, so they have a squiggle of glaze in the center), stir it over ice water for a few seconds – really less than a minute. With a small metal icing spatula, give each cupcake a crown of shiny ganache, and let the glaze set at room temperature (or in the fridge if you are in a hurry). If the ganache loses its gloss and you miss it, give the tops of the cakes a puff of hot air from a hairdryer right before serving. 

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcake #2

       Adapted from “The Essence of Chocolate” recipe by Stephanie Hersh.

For the Frosting

            1 cup heavy cream

            8 ounces 62% semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

For the Cupcakes

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Scharffen Berger unsweetened)

10 tbs (5 oz) unsalted butter at room temperature

¾ cup granulated sugar

½ tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 large egg

¾ cup whole milk

To make the cupcakes

            Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line 12 muffin cups (3/4-cup capacity) with paper liners.

            Stir together the flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl, and set aside.

            In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until pale, light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.

            Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately in two batches each, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Continue mixing until the batter is a uniform color.

            Fill the muffin cups about two-thirds full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cupcake spring back slightly when pressed in the center.

            Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a cooling rack, then remove and allow to cool completely on the rack.

            Once the frosting has thickened, dip the top of each cupcake in it and then twist as you lift out, or spread a small amount of frosting on top of each cupcake. If the frosting become to firm to spread, warm it slightly in a microwave or over a double boiler, stirring gently.

To make the frosting

In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium-low heat, until it just begins to simmer. Add the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate has melted completely and the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and let it cool for about 2 hours, or until the ganache has thickened enough to frost the cupcakes. If you’d like to thicken it faster, place the ganache in the refrigerator. The ganache will thicken around the edges first, so be sure to stir it every 5 minutes once it has begun to set. Remove it as soon as it has thickened or warm to room temperature and stir.

Cooking Notes:

           I did not have the chance to make two types of frosting/glaze/icing (whatever you call it) but I included the recipe so you can try it. The reason for this is that some cupcakes disappeared (read “eaten”) before they had a chance to cool down so there was no sense making all this icing. I used Dorie’s recipe for the topping with just butter, powdered sugar and melted chocolate. In my opinion this seemed like it had more shelf life and stability (which did not matter anyway since all the cupcakes were gone by the next day) than the one made with whipping cream. I followed both recipes’ suggestion of just dipping the cakes in the icing, swirling it and using a small spatula to shape it further - this really is the easiest way.

So which cupcake tasted better? Let me see…Dorie’s cupcake was very good in that it definitely supplied that sophisticated flavor; the “hungry” hubby, who maintains he doesn’t like sweets and has been blaming me for proving him a liar, likes this one better. As for me, taking a bite out of the Stephanie Hersch cupcake version brought back that beloved flavor from decades ago. It had the finest, tender crumb which gave one a very good mouth-feel. I think Dorie’s version was denser because of the addition of the melted chocolate and less butter or it could be just from the way I beat it. Also the Valrhona cocoa powder I used in Dorie's recipe definitely turned out deeply dark chocolate cakes.

I’m still finding a way to effectively fill in the cupcake cups. I’ve tried the teaspoon method  which proved to be time consuming. Using a pastry bag seemed to work very well but was a waste of the pastry bag. Then it suddenly occurred to me that I could use a measuring cup with a spout that could make it  easier and less messy. I've also seen batter dispensers but I want to work with what I already have. What do you all think?

I always thought my Warm Chocolate Cake was the richest tasting chocolate dessert I ever made but I knew it was only a matter of time before something else trumps it. And where else should that recipe come from but the brilliant chocolate book “Essence of Chocolate” by Robert Steinberg and John Scharffenberger. I find this book a wonderful resource for facts and tales regarding the origin and the making of chocolate. It describes the location and tropical climate required by the cacao trees to thrive and the problems encountered by its growers. The story of how Robert made chocolate in a small apartment is enough encouragement for me to try it on my own. Of course I don’t think I will start with fresh beans; I’m not even sure where I could obtain them. But grinding cocoa nibs with sugar to the consistency of paste and heating it to release the cocoa butter to complete the transformation into homemade chocolate have sparked visions of myself cackling over a cauldron of molten chocolate stirring away and inhaling the dizzying aroma of the resulting mixture. The pictures in the book alone are so totally worth its price; from the vivid photographs of the willowy cacao trees to the mouthwatering desserts created from its crop, you will come to appreciate the entire life cycle of a seemingly humble cacao fruit. As legends and lore have it, it was said that the pulp of the cacao fruit was what animals and humans first found useful. The bean has an astringent taste to it that could not be eaten as is, so it was discarded; this eventually led it to ferment (which is a necessary step for the cacao bean). Then as with the fate of other piles of scrap it was burned, thus accidentally releasing that heady aroma you associate with roasting chocolate. This led the humans to realize that if something smelled this good then it must taste fantastic too. Thank goodness for that discovery! If you are truly passionate about chocolate, having this book is a no-brainer. It is so well written that you are compelled to read the adventures of Steinberg and Scharffenberger as they struggled to get their enterprise off the ground and applaud them for their tenacity to forge ahead as other people discouraged them from fulfilling their passion. In just a few years they have become successful purveyors of high end chocolate known as Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, Inc.

            Being a hot chocolate aficionado, I was deeply intrigued by the baked hot chocolate recipe. Perusing through the ingredient list, I knew this was not hot chocolate in the true sense but more of a pseudo-hot chocolate; nevertheless I decided that this would be the first recipe I was going to make from this book.

Baked Hot Chocolate

       Adapted from “Essence of Chocolate” recipe by Heidi Friedlander, makes 4 servings

            9 ounces 62% semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

            6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

            4 large eggs

            ¼ cup granulated sugar

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange four ovenproof cups or mugs or 8-ounce ramekins in a baking or roasting pan.

Place the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler set over gently simmering water and whisk occasionally until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. Stir the eggs and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer set over the simmering water and stir until warm to the touch.

Place the bowl on the stand mixer and, using the whisk attachment, beat 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Remove from the mixer, and fold the eggs into the chocolate mixture until it is light and smooth.

Spoon the batter into the cups. Add enough very hot water to the baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The baked hot chocolates will be done when the tops lose their glossy finish. A wooden skewer inserted in the top will emerge but the batter toward the bottom of the cup will still be very moist.

Carefully remove the cups from the pan. The cakes can be served warm, at room temperature or covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. To reheat, bring to room temperature and place into a preheated 350 °F over for 5 minutes or until warm.

Top with cocoa whipped cream if desired.

Cooking Notes:

This chocolate dessert is an extremely decadent three layer extravaganza. The top layer is crusty almost soufflé like, the middle layer is like chocolate pudding and the last and bottom layer is very thick “liquidy” chocolate. This was almost too rich for me believe it or not; although I probably would not have thought so if I have not bombarded myself with sweets this past few days. I could not find a roasting pan that was deep enough to fill water half way up my mug but my 9x9x2 baking pan did pretty fine work. As with any chocolate dessert, raspberries are a perfect accompaniment.