Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

It has been a very hectic few days around here!  Christmas Eve and Christmas morning bliss, followed by family dinners and some post-Christmas Day shopping.  I’m completely exhausted and looking forward to laying low for a few days.  But first!  I did want to share some of the yummy things that have made their way out of the SweetRevelations kitchen in the past few days!

This past Friday was the last day of school for my children before Christmas break.  This was the first year that I sent a box of baked goods for their teachers.  I know, big surprise, it was cupcakes.

But, in my defense, baking is a way for me to express to others that I care about them, that I’m thankful for the things that they do, that I appreciate all of the “extra’s” that the teaching staff do for the students!

Well, and doesn’t a gourmet cupcake say all of those things?

Something rich and decadent with a minty frosting?  Ok, maybe not, but a few minutes with a yummy moist piece of cake and some peace and quiet sure doesn’t hurt on the last day before Christmas break.

I love the contrast of these cupcakes.  Dark Chocolate cake (gosh I’m so predictable) and creamy Peppermint Swiss Meringue Buttercream.  Just a hint of peppermint.  And I thought, to keep these somewhat elegant and classy looking (ahem..like the teachers at our school…), I would use some chocolate coated peppermint sticks as a garnish.  These smelled so wonderful and tasted like a classic winter mint chocolate.

First, make some of these Dark Chocolate Cupcakes, without the added espresso powder.  Then, top with some Peppermint Swiss Meringue Buttercream (below).

Peppermint Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 5 egg whites
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 cups of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

1.  Fill a saucepan (large enough to fit your mixing bowl just a few inches) with two inches of water.  Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low so water continues to simmer.

2.  In your stand mixer bowl, hand whisk the egg whites and the sugar just until combined.  Place over simmering pot and whisk for approx 4 mins until the egg whites are hot (about 150 degrees).  The sugar should be dissolved by this time as well.  Place bowl on stand mixer and attach the whisk attachment.  Whisk on medium speed until whites have increased in volume, are thick and glossy and the outside of the bowl is just slightly warm to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes!).

3.  Remove whisk attachment and replace with paddle attachment.  Beat on low-speed until mixture is completely cooled.  Increase speed to medium and add butter pieces one at a time.  Scrape the bowl and continue to beat until buttercream is glossy, smooth and thick.  It may separate at first, but continue beating and it will emulsify.  Add vanilla flavouring, a pinch of salt and peppermint and beat until combined.  Add food colouring if desired.  Use immediately.

Garnish with a chocolate covered peppermint stick.

Mini Dark Chocolate Pound Cakes

I’m pretty sure if you’ve been following my blog you’ve noticed that I kinda have a thing for rich dark chocolate desserts.  Decadent, rich, chocolate desserts of any kind.

Remember these, these and oh the memories…. this?

Well today I made these….

Just a little treat for my mom who is celebrating her birthday today.  I could bake till the cows come home and that would still not be present enough for my mom, but a yummy Dark Chocolate Pound Cake with Chocolate Ganache drizzle and a Vanilla Peppermint Glaze sure is a start!

She is a great listener, cheer leader, doctor, counsellor…..

She is a ‘warm cookies just out of the oven’ kind of person.

She is a ‘take less so someone can have more’ kind of person.

She is a ‘buy 20 chocolate easter bunnies, even for the grown-ups, because  they are still her children’, kind of person.

Well she sure gave me an appreciation of all things sweet in the kitchen.  And all things sweet about being a good mom.  And all things sweet about living a good life.  Well done mom, sit back and relax.

Have a piece of cake.

Dark Chocolate Pound Cake

*adapted from Jacques Torres’ A Year In Chocolate

*double this recipe to use in a large bundt pan

• 5 large egg yolks, room temp
• 3 whole eggs, room temp
• 1 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 vanilla bean

Preheat the oven to 350°

Lightly grease 5 mini bundt pans

1.  In a small bowl whisk together all of the eggs and yolks until combined.  Set aside.  In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder.  Set aside.

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter, sugar and sugar until very pale and increased in volume (this can take up to 10 minutes!).  Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and beat into mixture.

3.  Reduce mixer speed to med-low and add 1/3 of the eggs then 1/3 of the flour mixture.  Continue alternating the eggs and flour ending with the flour.  Beat the batter until smooth.

4.  Scrape the batter into prepared pans and bake for approx 20 minutes.  Be sure to check regularly after 16 minutes so cakes aren’t dry.  Invert cakes on wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache

• 1/2 cup quality Belgian bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

1.  Combine the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Heat the cream through gently just until it starts to bubble and pour over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for about 3 minutes.   Stir slowly until the chocolate melts and the ganache becomes smooth and glossy.  Drizzle over cooled cakes.

Peppermint Glaze

• 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp unsalted butter softened
• few drops of peppermint oil
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp milk

1.  Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.  Spoon on top of chocolate ganache.

*Garnish with crushed candy canes.