The Best Brooklyn Blackout Cupcakes Recipes

THE BEST BROOKLYN BLACKOUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a small, heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the cornstarch and both sugars. Gradually pour in the milk, adding it a little bit at a time, and whisking well to ensure no lumps form in the mixture.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and can coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.
• Add the chopped chocolate and continue to cook, stirring often, for about 4 minutes, or until the pudding is smooth and very thick.
• Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large serving bowl.
• Place plastic wrap on top of the pudding and smooth it gently against the surface. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line (2) 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners. Spray lightly with non-stick baking spray, and set aside.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside until needed.
• Combine the oil, butter, and chocolate together in a large bowl. Heat in the microwave, in 30 second increments, stirring between increments each time, until the butter and chocolate are completely melted. Stir in the espresso powder. Set aside and cool while you assemble the other ingredients.
• In a large bowl, combine both sugars, eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until smooth and well combined.
• Gradually add in the melted chocolate mixture, adding a little bit at a time and whisking constantly.
• Gently fold in the flour in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix gently and stop when you can still see the lightest trail of dry ingredients.
• Pour in the hot coffee (or water) and let it sit for 30 seconds, then fold it into the batter until combined.
• Fill each cupcake liner so that they're 2/3 full with batter. Bake, one tray at a time, for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the cupcakes have puffed up and a toothpick (or cake tester) inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs attached.
• Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting!
• Place both chocolates in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave, on low power, in 30 second increments, stirring between each increment, until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted. You may also do this in a double-boiler. Set aside and cool until tepid.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter until completely smooth.
• On low speed, add in the confectioners' sugar, a little bit at a time, beating until each addition has been completely incorporated into the butter before adding more. Once all of the sugar has been added, increase speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes.
• Decrease the speed back to low and beat in the vanilla extract. Then slowly pour in the cooled melted chocolate and continue mixing until well combined, tuning the mixer off and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
• Once all of the chocolate has been added, increase the speed back to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Set aside for 30 minutes to firm up, or up to 3 hours. Do not refrigerate (the chocolate will seize and render the frosting impossible to spread).
• Using a paring knife, cut out a 1/2" inch cone shaped hole in the middle of each cooled cupcake. The hole should stop about 1/4" from the bottom of the cupcake, to avoid breaking the base. Set all of the cupcake scraps aside!
• Scrape the chilled pudding into a large piping bag fitted with a medium piping tip, like this one.
• Pipe the filling into the middle of each cupcake cavity, filling it all the way to the top.
• Next, scrape your fudgy chocolate frosting into a piping bag fitted with an open star piping tip, like this one. Pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake, making sure the pudding is completely covered.
• Crumble up the cupcake scraps into fine crumbs and sprinkle a generous amount on top of each cupcake.
• Serve at once, or store in the fridge until needed. Cupcakes are best served the day they are made, but will keep, stored in the fridge, for 2 days.

BROOKLYN BLACKOUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the filling and frosting: place the pudding mix and milk in a 2-qt saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
• Add the chocolate chips, butter, and vanilla and stir until the chips and butter melts, 2 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and cover the pudding with plastic wrap placed directly on its surface. Let cool for 45 minutes at room temperature.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F Line 24 cupcake wells with paper liners.
• Make the batter: place the cake mix, cocoa powder, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds.
• Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more. Batter will be thick.
• Scoop 1/4 cup batter into each cupcake well~you should get 24.
• Bake for 17-20 minutes, until tops are springy when lightly pressed. Cool in the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes.
• Remove 4 cupcakes from the pans and crumble them into a bowl, making coarse crumbs.
• Loosen the remaining cupcakes from the pans and cool them on wire racks for 15 minutes.
• Divide the pudding mixture into 2 portions. Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip and spoon 1 cup of the filling into the bag. Gently push the tip into the center of each cupcake and squirt a generous amount of pudding inside. Refill the bag as needed and repeat for all 20 cakes.
• Place a heaping tablespoons of the remaining pudding portion on the top of each cupcake and spread to cover the entire surface. Top the frosting with a sprinkling of cupcake crumbs, pressing down slightly so they stick.
• Store uneaten cupcakes covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

BROOKLYN BLACKOUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans. Cut 2 circles of parchment paper or waxed paper to fit the bottoms of the pans, then press them in. In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter and shortening together. Add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy. One by one, add the eggs, mixing after each addition. With the mixer running at low speed, add the vanilla, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix. With the mixer still running at low speed, add about 1/3 of the cake flour, then about 1/3 of the milk, and mix. Repeat with the remaining cake flour and milk and mix. Pour into the prepared pans and bake until dry and springy to the touch and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay), 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and let cool completely, to room temperature. Using a long serrated knife, cut the cake layers in half horizontally. Reserving 3 halves for the cake, put the remaining half in a food processor, breaking it up with your hands. Pulse into fine crumbs.
• To finish the cake, place a cake layer on a cake plate or serving platter (reserving the most even layer for the top) and spread with cooled custard. Top with another layer of cake, then custard, then the final layer of cake. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining custard. Coat the cake with the cake crumbs. Chill until ready to serve, at least 2 hours. Serve the same day.
• Pour 2 1/2 cups of the water, the sugar, corn syrup and cocoa powder into a large non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of water and the cornstarch. Whisk into the cocoa mixture in the saucepan and return the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, until very thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until firm, about 45 minutes.