Black Out Cupcake Food

BLACK OUT CUPCAKE

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt together into a bowl. Whisk together the sugar, milk, oil, vanilla, eggs and egg yolk. Whisk into the dry ingredients slowly, followed by the boiling water, just to combine.
• Pour into the cupcake pans and bake for about 18 minutes. Let cool completely.
• For the carrot ganache: Whisk together the cream cheese, carrot juice and sugar in a large saucepan until smooth. Place over low heat until just boiling.
• Place the white chocolate in a large bowl and pour the hot carrot mixture over. Mix well until all the chocolate has melted. Stir in the cinnamon, vanilla and ginger. Let cool.
• For the chocolate ganache: Combine the cream, sugar and cayenne in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine the chocolate and butter in a bowl. Whisk the hot cream into the chocolate until smooth, then cover with plastic wrap.
• For assembly: Use a melon baller to scoop out the center of each cupcake and fill with carrot ganache. Frost with the chocolate ganache and sprinkle each cupcake with some cayenne pepper. Garnish with a marzipan carrot.

BLACK BOTTOM CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners. Beat together the cream cheese, egg, 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla extract in a medium bowl on medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth and no lumps remain, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and remaining 2/3 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl. Add the oil, the remaining teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 cup water and mix until combined. Let the batter rest 10 minutes at room temperature, then stir in the vinegar.
• Divide the chocolate batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Drop about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling in the center of each cupcake.
• Bake until the cream cheese filling has set and a toothpick inserted into the chocolate cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
• Cool in the tin 5 minutes and then use a butter knife or small offset spatula to carefully remove the cupcakes to a wire rack. Cool the cupcakes completely before serving, about 30 minutes.

CREAM-FILLED BLACKOUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the chocolate cupcakes: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt and mix on low for 30 seconds to combine. Add the oil, melted butter, water, beaten egg and vanilla and mix on low to combine. Scrape the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula and then mix on medium speed for 30 seconds.
• Scrape and fold the batter a few times. Divide the batter into the 12 liners and tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out with moist crumbs, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Before frosting the cupcakes, cover them lightly with plastic wrap and chill them for 1 hour to make handling easier.
• For the fudge frosting and filling: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high until very smooth and shiny, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the cocoa, sugar, condensed milk, vanilla and salt and blend on low until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add in 1 tablespoon of steaming hot water. Scrape the bowl, then raise the mixer to high speed and beat for 1 minute. Turn the mixer to low and mix for 1 to 2 minutes to smooth out the frosting and reduce air bubbles.
• Transfer 1/3 cup of the fudge frosting to a small bowl and stir in the marshmallow creme.
• Use a paring knife or apple corer to remove a 1-inch wide "plug" of cake in the middle of the bottom of each cupcake, cutting about halfway through.
• Place the cream filling into a small resealable plastic bag and snip off the tip. Pipe the filling into the holes cut out of the cupcakes; use the plugs or scraps of the cake you removed to plug the holes back up.
• Frost the filled cupcakes with the remaining frosting and top with mini chocolate chips if desired. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

CHOCOLATE BLACKOUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and eggs. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make pudding mix as directed on box, using 1 1/2 cups milk. While pudding is hot, stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips until melted. Cover; refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour.
• Place remaining 2 cups chocolate chips in heatproof bowl. In 1-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream to boiling. Pour over chocolate chips; let stand 1 minute. Stir with whisk until melted and smooth. Let ganache stand at room temperature 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
• Crumble 1 cupcake; set aside for topping. With end of wooden spoon handle, make deep, 3/4-inch-wide indentation in center of top of remaining 23 cupcakes, not quite to bottom. Spoon pudding into resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut 1/2-inch tip off corner of bag. Insert tip of bag into opening in each cupcake; squeeze bag to fill opening. Frost cupcakes with ganache; sprinkle with cupcake crumbs. Store loosely covered.