Granny Twichells Secret Chocolate Cupcake Recipes

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE

Steps:

• For the batter: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners.
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy with an electric hand mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce to a low speed. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk. Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate. Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
• For the filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut flakes and pecans, and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, vanilla, egg yolks and evaporated milk. Heat the pan over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Stir constantly. Let the mixture boil for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour over the coconut and chopped pecans mixture. Stir until completely incorporated. Put in the refrigerator for 1 to 1 1/2 hours to cool and thicken.
• For the frosting: In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and cocoa powder with an electric hand mixer on medium-high until light and creamy. Add in the vanilla. Add in the milk. Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar at a time, mixing between each addition. Add more milk as needed until you reach the desired consistency. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
• To assemble, pull out the centers of the cooled cupcake with a cupcake corer. Fill with the coconut pecan filling. Pipe the frosting onto each cupcake. Place a small amount of coconut pecan filling on top for garnish.

PEANUT BUTTER FILLED CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners (for a total of 24 cupcakes).
• For the peanut butter filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the granulated sugar. Beat in the vanilla and eggs, scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix until smooth. Set aside.
• For the chocolate cupcake batter: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream 1 cup of the granulated sugar with the oil. Slowly add the vanilla extract and egg yolks to the creamed sugar while mixing, and beat until incorporated.
• In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar until firm peaks form. Do not over-whip.
• Turn the stand mixer on the lowest speed. Add the dry ingredients and milk, alternating between the two and scraping down the sides after each addition. Mix on medium for 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate batter in three parts.
• Scoop one scoop of the chocolate cupcake batter into each cupcake liner. Top with one scoop of the peanut butter filling. The liners will be about two-thirds full. Bake until the cupcakes are nicely domed and the chocolate bounces back from gentle pressure, about 22 minutes; the peanut butter filling will not be firm. Remove from the pans and cool.
• For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip the cream.
• Ice the cooled cupcakes with the frosting using a pastry bag fitted with the desired tip.

GRANNY TWICHELL'S SECRET CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Heat 1 inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, 1 cup heavy cream and 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate in the top half of the double boiler. tightly cover with plastic wrap. Allow to heat for 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Set aside until needed.
• Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on medium until lemon-colored and slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Add the melted chocolate mixture and beat on medium for 15 to 20 seconds more. Add the cake flour, baking soda and chocolate chips, and beat on low for 10 seconds. Increase to medium and beat for an additional 10 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Use a rubber spatula and thoroughly combine the batter.
• Evenly divide the mixture into 18 bake cups that have already been positioned into muffin tins, filling the cups to within 1/4 below the rim. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Place 6 ounces semisweet chocolate in a stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth.
• One at a time, dip the top of each of Granny's cupcakes into the chocolate icing. Sprinkle the grated white chocolate over the icing on each cupcake, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the icing.
• Allow the cupcakes to come to room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.