Double Chocolate Cupcakes With Salted Chia Pudding Frosting Food

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH SALTED CHIA PUDDING FROSTING

Steps:

• Make the frosting:
• Combine the coconut milk, dates, and salt in a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth. This might take a few minutes. If end up with small bits of dates, that's OK. But you don't want to see chunks or even white slivers of the coconut milk. The color should be a very light tan. Taste, and if you want to add more salt, do it now and then blend for a few more seconds (I really like the saltiness a teaspoon brings). Pour the mixture into a medium jar or container with a lid. Stir in the chia seeds. Put the frosting in the fridge, covered, for at least 6 hours (overnight is best).
• For the cupcakes:
• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 paper liners.
• In a small bowl, combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar. In another small bowl, make a flax egg: Mix the flax meal and water together. Let both the almond milk mixture and the flax egg rest for at least 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Combine the vanilla, maple syrup, flax egg, and almond milk mixture in a bowl. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine. Do not overstir. Pour in the coconut oil and chocolate chips and give it a few more stirs, until just combined.
• Fill each cupcake liner with 1/4 cup of the batter. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a fork or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let your cupcakes cool on a wire rack if you have one. When they're completely cool, top them with the frosting. Sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING FROSTED CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.
• Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and baking soda and add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the butter, buttermilk and eggs and beat on low until moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the coffee and beat until fully incorporated. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pans to wire racks and allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
• Remove the cupcakes from the muffin pans and spread each with frosting.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment, whip the cream at high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar, vanilla extract and pudding mix and whip until smooth.

MILK-CHOCOLATE PUDDING CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 standard muffin cups with paper or foil liners. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat butter with sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with milk. Beat in melted chocolate.
• Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until a tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes and let cool completely on rack. (Cupcakes can be made ahead up to this point and stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.)
• Transfer pudding to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain round tip. Insert tip in top of a cupcake and squeeze until cupcake begins to mound. Repeat with remaining cupcakes. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes and up to 1 day. Spoon about 2 teaspoons ganache over top of each cupcake; top with chocolate curls. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes before serving.

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH CARAMEL FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 15 muffin cups or line with paper baking cups.
• In a large bowl, stir together the white sugar, flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Make a well in the center, and pour in the water, grape jelly, mayonnaise, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Mix just until blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack. When cool, arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter.
• Make the frosting while the cupcakes cool. Combine the butter, half-and-half and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Set the pan over a bowl of ice water and whisk or beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Frost cupcakes when they are completely cool.