Chocolate Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Pastry Chicago’s 2012 Haunted Cupcake Competition Demonstration

October 27, 2012

Chocolate Cupcakes Ingredients: Cacao Barry Cocoa Powder 114 g Water 227 g Fresh Whole Milk 227 g Vinegar 15 g King Arthur All Purpose Flour 320 g Baking Powder 5 g Baking Soda 5 g Salt 1.5 g Plugra Butter 82% Fat 114 g Sucrose 270 g Brown Sugar 163 g Fresh Whole Eggs 2 Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract 5 g Method: Scale the cocoa powder into a small bowl. Boil the water in small pot. Whisk the

boiling water and cocoa powder together with a small whisk. Curdle the milk by pouring the vinegar into the milk. Sift dry ingredients together. Cream the butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the chocolate mixture to the creamed mixture. Add dry ingredients and milk to the mixture by alternating turns. Bake in a convection oven at 280˚F for 18 minutes.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Ingredients: Fresh Egg Whits 180 g Plugra Butter 82% Fat 447 g Sugar 255 g Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract 5 g Method: Bring the egg whites and sugar to 140˚F(60˚C) while whisking them in a bowl

over a bain marie. Place the egg whites onto a mixer with a whisk attachment and whip to a

medium/firm peak. Switch to the paddle attachment and add the vanilla extract. In separate mixing bowl, cream the butter. Slowly add the creamed butter to

meringue.

American Chocolate Buttercream Ingredients: Plugra Butter 82% Fat 454 g Fresh Whole Milk (optional) 40 g Cocao Barry 45% Chocolate Couverture 340 g Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract 10 g Powdered Sugar, sifted 350 g Method: Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool. Cream the butter and add the melted chocolate and vanilla. Add the powdered sugar in 3 additions. Thin the mixture with milk, as needed. Mix Swiss Meringue and American Chocolate Buttercream together until smooth.