Devils Food Cupcakes With Marshmallow Frosting

DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each.
• Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three- quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
• To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting.

DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners, and lightly coat with cooking spray.
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Bring the cocoa powder, milk and 1/2 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, and whisk until the cocoa dissolves into a smooth, thicker mixture, about 3 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, and set aside until just slightly warm to the touch.
• Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer) until combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. Continue to beat while slowly pouring the cocoa mixture into the bowl (be sure to scrape out any cocoa that coats the saucepan) just until incorporated, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to medium, add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Remove the bowl from the stand, and finish stirring by hand to avoid overmixing.
• Divide the batter evenly among the lined muffin cups, and bake until the cupcakes bounce back when gently pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• For the glaze: Combine the butter, chocolate, honey and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap and poke a hole in it to vent. Microwave on high (at 100 percent power) for about 1 minute, until the butter and most of the chocolate is melted. Whisk until smooth, and let cool, 15 to 20 minutes. Dip the top of each cupcake in the glaze, and let it set up, about 30 minutes.
• Decorate the cupcakes: Pinch each fruit chew into a curved horn shape with pointed ends. Cut the licorice laces into twelve 5-inch pieces, and snip 1 end of each to make a Y-shaped tail. Press two horns into the top of each cupcake, and press a tail into the back of each cupcake.

DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKES WITH MARSHMALLOW FROSTING

Steps:

• Cake.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In electric mixer set on medium cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time until completely mixed.
• In a small mixing bowl combine hot water and cocoa powder, mix until smooth.
• Lower speed on mixer and slowly add cocoa mixture.
• In a large mixing bowl sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda; add to mixer alternately with sour cream.
• Mix coffee gradules with vanilla extract until dissolved then add to batter. Making sure to scarpe down sides of bowl until completely combined.
• Place liner in muffin tin. I spray liners with non-stick to make them come out easier.
• Fill liner 1/3 full or slightly more for rounder tops.
• Place on middle rack for 12 to 15 minutes. Done when toothpick comes out clean.
• Remove and allow to completely cool then frost.
• Frosting.
• Beat butter on high in electric mixer until creamy.
• Add marshmallow creme, mix completely.
• Slowly add confectioner's sugar a little at a time, followed by vanilla, corn syrup and salt. Beat until smooth.

RED DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKES WITH MOCHA COCOA FROSTING

Steps:

• For cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spritz cupcake pans with nonstick baking spray or line with cupcake papers.
• Place cocoa in a small bowl.
• Add water, slowly stirring, until well blended and smooth.
• Set aside until lukewarm.
• In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt.
• In medium bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time.
• Add the cooled chocolate mixture all at once, add vanilla and stir well.
• Add the flour mixture all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth and patches of white disappear.
• Do not overmix.
• Using a measuring cup, dip out the batter and place in the cupcake pans; the cupcake pans should be about 3/4 full.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick comes clean when poked into the cakes.
• When cooled, frost with mocha frosting (recipe below).
• Makes about 18 2 1/2 inch cupcakes.
• For frosting, remove lumps from both sugar and cocoa by placing the measured ingredients into a sieve set over a bowl; push and rub with the back of a spoon or rubber spatula.
• Using an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth.
• Add the vanilla and salt.
• Add the sugar all at once and mix until almost blended.
• Beat in as much of the coffee as needed to make a smooth, spreadable frosting.
• Makes 1 3/4 cups or enough to frost 18 cupcakes generously.
• Tip: If the cupcakes are going into a lunchbox or picnic basket, cut them in half, sandwich the frosting in the middle and wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap.

DEVIL'S-FOOD CAKE WITH TOASTED-MARSHMALLOW FROSTING

Steps:

• Place oven rack in the middle position, and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 8-by-3-inch anodized-aluminum cake pans with parchment paper, and grease them.
• Combine butter and coffee in a 5-quart saucepan, and set over low heat to melt. Remove from heat, and whisk in the cocoa, chocolate, brown sugar, vanilla and salt, until there are no lumps of cocoa or unmelted chocolate. After mixing, add the eggs and yolks, and whisk well to combine. Sift flour and baking soda right into the pan, then whisk thoroughly to combine, making sure there are no pockets of flour. Divide batter among the three cake pans (about 23-24 ounces each).
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cakes are firm, but a light touch with a finger still leaves an impression, and a few crumbs cling to a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake.
• Set aside on a wire rack until the pans, and the cakes, are completely cool to the touch, about 90 minutes.
• Fill a 3-quart pot with 1 1/2 inches of water, and place over medium-low heat. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites, sugar, salt, cream of tartar and vanilla. Place the bowl over the steaming water bath, and use a spatula to stir and scrape down the bowl, keeping the mass moving over the steam for about 10 minutes, or until a digital thermometer inserted into the mixture reads 175 degrees.
• Place the bowl in the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, and whip on high speed until it quadruples in volume and turns thick and glossy, about 5 minutes.
• Loosen the sides of the cakes with a knife and invert them onto a wire rack. Peel away the parchment paper, then flip cakes right-side up again. Use a long serrated knife to evenly trim the puffy tops off the cakes (set these aside for snacking).
• Place one cake, cut-side up, onto a serving plate. Top with a cup of frosting, and spread it into an even layer with a small palette knife or the back of a spoon. Repeat with the second and third layers, placing these cut-side down. Finish the sides of the cake with remaining frosting, then lightly torch with a blowtorch, so the frosting turns golden brown.