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Cupcakes: Black-and-White Cupcakes

Source of Recipe


From "Sweet Thoughts for Mother's Day"






List of Ingredients



• -- Cream Cheese Filling --
  
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  
• 1 tsp vanilla
  
• 1/4 cup (1-1/2 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips
  
• .
  
• -- Cupcake Batter --
  
• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1/3 cup nonalkalized (not Dutch process) unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
  
• Optional: 1 tsp instant espresso powder
  
• Pinch salt
  
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
  
• 1/4 cup (tasteless) vegetable oil
  
• 1 Tbsp dark rum (or water)
  
• 2 tsp vanilla
  
• .
  
• -- Optional Glaze --
  
• 3 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  
• Few grains salt
  
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
  
• .
  
• Optional: White or milk chocolate chips for garnish (miniature chips are especially cute, here)
  






Instructions



1. Adjust rack to center of oven. Preheat oven to 475 degrees (F). (Yes, 475 degrees!) Line the cups of a standard-size, 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
   
   
2. For cream cheese filling: Place softened cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla in small bowl. With small wire whisk, beat until combined and cream cheese is smooth (you can use a hand-held electric mixer for this; beat the mixture at a low speed). With a spoon, stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
   
   
3. For cupcake batter: Into medium or large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, optional instant espresso powder and salt. With spoon or large whisk, blend until dry ingredients are evenly colored. In small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine buttermilk, oil, rum (or water) and vanilla. All at once, add liquid ingredients to sifted dry ingredients. With whisk or hand-held electric mixer at low speed, beat just until well combined, about 30 seconds (there may still be a few small lumps in the batter -- that is OK). For ease in handling, transfer batter to small pitcher or liquid measuring cup of at least 2-1/2-cup capacity.
   
   
4. Divide batter evenly among lined muffin cups. Using about a heaping teaspoon (not a measuring teaspoon) for each, divide the cream cheese filling among the cups as evenly as possible. Place the filling on top of the batter in the middle of each cupcake. The cups will be almost full -- that is OK.
   
   
5. Place in preheated oven and close door; IMMEDIATELY REDUCE OVEN TEMPERATURE to 375 degrees (F)!! Bake 17 to 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted near the center of a cupcake emerges with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Do not overbake. Remove muffin tin to cooling rack. As quickly as possible, gently and carefully remove cupcakes from muffin tin. Allow to cool completely on cooling rack before glazing. The cupcakes may have slight depressions in their centers -- that is OK.
   
   
6. For glaze: In small, heatproof bowl, combine chopped chocolate and salt. In small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat cream over low heat, stirring often, until very hot. Remove from heat. Pour about half of the hot cream over chocolate. Allow to stand for a minute or two, then stir or whisk gently until smooth. (If necessary, place bowl of chocolate over simmering water on low heat -- water should not touch bottom of bowl -- and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and hot water.) Gradually stir in remaining cream. Cool glaze to room temperature, gently stirring or whisking occasionally.
   
   
7. When glaze and cupcakes have both cooled completely, place a very well-rounded teaspoon (not a measuring teaspoon) of glaze in the center of each cupcake. You can either spread the glaze to cover the entire top of the cupcake, or spread it slightly to leave an unglazed perimeter. To garnish: Before the glaze sets, sprinkle the glazed part of each cupcake sparingly with mixed white and milk chocolate chips. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 days. Freeze for longer storage.
   
   Makes 12 cupcakes.