Cookaholics Bulletin Board

They are so pretty...
Thanks for all your help. Chocolate seems like the way to go. I have wanted to make those cupcakes but kept seeing reports of problem with the ganache... leaving it out seems like the thing to do.
So... fave butter cream recipe (I really need to do more baking).

Mary

FWIW I have made those chocolate cupcakes numerous times and haven't had a problem with the ganache. Last time I made them I accidentally forgot to add the ganache and plopped it on a couple of minutes into baking. A couple had wonky looking tops but they turned out perfect otherwise.

My favorite buttercream is an Italian meringue buttercream (make italian meringue, when it is cooled down to about 80 degrees F beat in butter), but if they are going to sit out all day I'd use CI's Easy Buttercream. Lots of flavor variations possible.

Their foolproof chocolate frosting is also excellent if you want to do chocolate on chocolate. Finally, the peanut butter frosting is scrumptious, but it's in the same camp as the Italian meringue buttercream so probably can't sit out all day.

CI's dark chocolate cupcakes are really good and easy, and go perfectly with their easy vanilla buttercream. That's my go-to recipe when I want/need uncomplicated but great-tasting cupcakes!

Emilie

Welcome Emilie and thanks for the tip. Might be the way to go. I don't want to go to the trouble of inserting ganache into a cupcake when I won't be around to be praised for it.

I was going to go for a butter cream so thank you all for preventing me from doubting my decision.

Mary

Hi Emilie,
Glad you made it

Made the CI dark chocolate with vanilla butter cream icing. I made 12 and donated 11. I couldn't send them out without a test run. I was quite pleased with them, no doming, good crumb, creamy frosting.

I may have to do another batch as my car ran out of gas (give me a DUH here) and my nice neighbor helped me push it into the guest parking lot. Such behavior deserves a reward (although laughing hysterically at my stupidity may be enough reward in itself).

Mary

Glad you liked them, Mary. The one negative I've found as far as those cupcakes go is that it is extremely difficult to eat only one, because they're not super-rich like a lot of other dark chocolate cakes or cupcakes. Just thinking about them again makes me want to pull out the cupcake pan right away. One of those would be a really delicious breakfast:) And thanks for the welcomes -- I've been lurking since Nancy told me about this site and it's definitely an interesting/engaging resource.

Emilie

And that is part of the reason that I don't bake. These were sent safely out of the house but I could have easily eaten one (or two or...) more. I am by and far not a great baker (and no false modesty here) but I have a problem leaving the stuff I bake alone. Because of that I tend to only bake when I can give a bunch away or I know there will be plenty of people around to eat it.

I am glad you popped in again. Time to stop lurking and join the party.