This week’s TwD recipe was one of my favorites: chocolate cupcakes. If you read my blog regularly you know I have a soft spot for cupcakes, so I was excited to try a recipe from Dorie. Unlike most baking sessions where I dash to the store (or persuade my boyfriend to run) for an ingredient minutes before starting, I already had everything on hand. Even better, the recipe made 12 cupcakes — a perfect amount to bring to class.
Before I began, I read the P&Q comments on the TwD site and my expectations wavered: some readers described these cupcakes as dry and biscuit-like. I dislike dry cake almost as much as I dislike wasting time, but I had promised cupcakes to my students and didn’t want to disappoint them on the first day back. I also had an unopened jar of marshmallow fluff leftover from another recipe, so I followed the lead of other TwD bakers and injected the cupcakes with marshmallow fluff for extra moisture and gooeyness. How could that be a bad idea?
The verdict: they were not dry at all. The kids loved them, even though I worried the bittersweet ganache might be too grown-up for their tastes. Sometimes I think they would eat just about anything! The marshmallow filling added a soft, sweet center that complemented the chocolate very well and helped ensure each bite stayed moist.
If you want to try these Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes yourself, the TwD site and Clara’s blog I Heart Food 4 Thought both feature the recipe, and you can also find it in Dorie Greenspan’s book, Baking: From My Home to Yours (pages 215–217). These cupcakes are a reliable crowd-pleaser — moist, chocolatey, and easily customized with a marshmallow center or a smooth ganache topping.
Next up on the blog: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins and a Caramel Apple Cake. Stay tuned for more fall baking and tips to keep your treats moist, flavorful, and fun to share.