Where do you stand in the great Valentine’s Day war? Are you an advocate, bursting with excitement for a meal at a fancy restaurant or thrilled at the thought of your loved one opening the card you lovingly pick out for them in Paperchase? Perhaps you are a hater, preparing for an epic night of horror movies and popcorn, hibernating from the pink hearts and overpriced chocolates or maybe you’re hitting the town with your mates – it is a Friday after all. Wherever your heart lies on February 14, I think we can all agree on one thing – we love cake.
I have a funny little relationship with cupcakes. Everyone seems to adore them, all pretty and precise with perfectly piped buttercream. But they are kind of awkward to eat – I normally end up with frosting on my nose. If it were my choice I would happily accept a slice of cake any day, but as I made these cupcakes for one of my many Valentine’s (lol) for her flatwarming, I thought I would indulge her love for all things pretty in pink. Don’t say I’m not good to you Nicola.
You might be surprised to know this post falls under my Frugal February project, in which I use up baking odds and ends in a bid to reduce waste in my household. In this recipe, it’s the double chocolate ganache that has been given a second coming after I froze the leftovers from frosting a ‘Sorry You’re Leaving’ cake a few weeks ago. Rather than throw the surplus away, I scooped it up and placed in a freezer bag, smoothing out all the air and freezing. So simple and yet so convienient for frosting a batch of fragrant vanilla cupcakes – simply defrost overnight in a bowl. See, cupcake making isn’t all perfect piping – it can be really easy.
These cupcakes are so utterly romantic that they would make the perfect gift for your sweet toothed sweetheart this Valentine’s. The milk chocolate just takes the edge off the bitterness of the dark ganache and the sweet nubs of raspberry give little bursts of colour and flavour – like little edible rose petals. And of course, with a great hunk of vanilla sponge underneath, these cupcakes are enough to slay even the most hardcore Valentine’s hater. And even if you don’t have a Valentine, make them anyway and enjoy them with the friends you hold dearest before you paint the town loveheart red. Make cake and don’t declare war on Valentine’s just yet.
Cupcake recipe from Red Magazine
You Will Need
For the cupcakes
175g unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
175g caster sugar
175g self raising flour
3 eggs
½ tsp vanilla paste
½ tsp baking powder
To finish
300g leftover ganache from this recipe, having used ½ 70% dark chocolate and ½ good quality milk chocolate
2 tbsp freeze dried raspberry pieces
Tip: If using frozen ganache, unwrap and place in a bowl covered with clingfilm and leave to defrost overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180oc/160oc fan and line a muffin tin with 12 cases. Place all of the cupcake ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer (or if using a hand held mixer, a large bowl) then beat together until smooth – about five minutes. Divide equally between the 12 cases and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly in the tin then remove each cupcake and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
Place the now defrosted but cold ganache in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of barely simmering water. This will help to bring back the shine of the ganache as it will have gone matte in the cold. Warm through until the bottom begins to melt then remove from the heat and whisk vigorously until you have a smooth and shiny ganache. Leave to cool for around 10 minutes.
To frost your cupcakes, take a spoonful of ganache and blob it onto the top of a cupcake. Using the back of the spoon, smooth the ganache right to the edges of the case. To finish, use the back of the spoon to firmly swoop around the cupcake, twisting as you go to create a rustic swirl. Sprinkle with the frozen raspberry pieces and then serve to the one you love.
sophiebowns says
They sounds great!