Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Heartbreak white chocolate cupcakes

Of all the Valentine's cupcakes in all the towns in all the world, she had to choose this one...

Well, hello! It’s Valentine’s Day again. Not to be a cynic, but is there any valid reason for such a day, apart from providing something to write about or cook heart-themed cupcakes for? Truth be told, there’s something about the rose-strewn bouquets and big, fluffy, white teddy bears that makes me feel a bit erky perky...

I understand, though, that it’s the florists’ busiest and most profitable day, so let’s not begrudge them their livelihood. Personally, I’d be very embarrassed to have a large arrangement (with helium-filled foil balloons, God forbid) delivered to me. So to all of my many, many secret admirers, please take note!

If you must celebrate this soppy day, however, how about going straight to the heart via the stomach, with these amazing white chocolate cupcakes. They are the moistest, delicious-est, smoothest cupcakes ever. And if you want to tell that particular someone how you feel about them, a broken chocolate heart sends just the right message, n’est pas?

White chocolate cupcakes
makes 12

Ingredients
100g (3 ½ oz) butter, softened
¾ cup caster (superfine) sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup milk
100g (3 ½ oz) white chocolate, melted

White chocolate ganache:
125g (4 oz) white chocolate, chopped
¼ cup pouring cream
35g (1 ¼ oz) butter

Chocolate hearts:
100g dark chocolate

Method
1. Preheat oven to 160C/320F. Line a 12 x ½ cup muffin tray with 12 paper liners.
2. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder over the butter and sugar mixture and beat until well combined.
4. Add the milk and melted white chocolate and mix well.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared paper liners and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean. Remove cakes from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
6. For the ganache: Place the white chocolate, cream and butter in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave on medium-low setting in 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst, until the chocolate is melted. Stir mixture until smooth. Spread ganache on the cooled cupcakes.
7. For the chocolate hearts: Place the dark chocolate in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave on medium-low setting in 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst, until the chocolate is melted. Stir mixture until smooth. Spread the melted chocolate onto a parchment-lined baking tray, about 2mm (1/8”) thick. Place in refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. Use a heart-shaped cutter to cut shapes from the chocolate, then place on the cupcakes.

cupcake recipe adapted from donna hay 'simple essentials: chocolate'
Ingredients, including white chocolate, sugar, eggs and butter.
The cupcake batter is spooned into a muffin tray and baked.
Make some chocolate hearts by spreading melted chocolate onto baking paper and cutting out heart shapes.

These cupcakes will heal that broken heart, stat!



Look at the inside: moist, smooth and gorgeous.

21 comments:

  1. Look at the crumb! So dang smooth and light! I love them even without any frosting!

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  2. These are soooooooo perfect for this occassion. I must attempt them myself.

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  3. What a great recipe! Those cupcakes look so cute. A perfect treat for Valentine's Day.

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  4. Awesome recipe. Those cupcakes look amazing!

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  5. Too cute. I say bugger Valetines Day and give me a couple of those to have with my morning coffee!

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  6. These are just awesome Bel. I am not much of a Valentines person either but I would absolutely swoon if I were given a few of these :)

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  7. The texture of these cupcakes look excellent! As for helium balloons...I understand them even less when given to a new mother - it's definitely one of the last things I'd want to receive given the circumstances.

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  8. I've always preferred white to regular chocolate anyway, so I adore these.

    And no helium balloons for me either. But I WILL take a dozen of these.

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  9. gorgeous pictures!! this is such a fun idea, but they're breaking my heart because i don't have one right now!!

    cornyyyyy ah sorry i had to...

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  10. Those look perfect inside :) love the hearts haha brilliant!

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  11. So very very sweet (not the broken heart bit but the cupcakes)! Love the fluffy looking inside...mmmm!

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  12. Bel, these cupcakes look so cute, like the idea of broken heart ;-)
    Love how fluffy they came out...already bookmarked the recipe.
    Have a wonderful week :)

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  13. These look great! ^^ I love the chocolate hearts!

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  14. I am not a fan of chocolate but I love white chocolates even though they aren't really chocolate :)

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  15. lol cute idea with the broken heart. Desserts fix everything, I say :)

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  16. These look like fun. They are so pretty! I like your heat shape cookie cutter set:)

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  17. This sounds amazing. Do you think they would work with cream cheese icing??

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  18. hi lifeaftertwobluelines.com (Em) - Cream cheese icing sounds divine. It might be a bit soft to hold the choc hearts, but it would definitely taste excellent =)

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  19. Thanks Bel, I think I'm going to try these for my baby's first birthday this weekend!

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