Hostess
Cupcakes
CAKES:
1/2 c Plus 2 tbsp Flour
1/2 tbsp. Cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. Baking soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 c Sugar
1/2 c Water
3 tbsp. Vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. Distilled white vinegar
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
FILLING:
1 c Heavy whipping cream
6 oz Finely chopped white chocolate
GLAZE:
3 oz Finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
3 tbsp. Boiling water
ICING:
1 tbsp. Egg white, at room temperature
1 pinch cream of tartar
1/2 c
Plus 2 to 3 tbsp confectioner's sugar
Make the cupcakes:
1. Position a rack in the center and preheat oven to 325F. Lightly
butter twenty-four 1-3/4" x 3/4" (1-oz) muffin of biscuit cups.
2. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda,
and salt. Mix in the sugar. Make a well in the center. Whisk in the
water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Blend until smooth. (The batter
will be very thin.)
3. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups. Bake until a cake tester
inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean,
about 12 to 14 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pans on a wire rack
for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and finish cooling
on the rack.
Make the filling:
4. In a heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream
to a boil. Add the white chocolate and remove from heat. let the
mixture stand briefly; stir until smooth. Transfer to a metal bowl
and refrigerate until chilled thoroughly, stirring occasionally. (To
speed the process, set the metal bowl over a larger bowl of ice
water; stir the chocolate mixture until cool.) With an electric
mixer, beat the white chocolate mixture just until fluffy, about 1
minute.
5. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch plain
tip. Insert the pastry tip 1/4-inch into the bottom of each cupcake
and squeeze a little filling into each one.
Make the glaze:
6. Place the chocolate in a small bowl. Whisk in the boiling water and
blend until smooth. One at a time, dip the top of each cupcake into
the warm glaze. Turn the glazed cupcakes right side up and set them
on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Refrigerate the cupcakes for
5 minutes to set the glaze.
Make the icing:
7. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Stir in the
cream of tartar. Gradually mix in enough of the confectioner's sugar
to make a fairly stiff and smooth icing. Fill a small paper cone with
the icing and cut a 1/16-inch opening at the tip. Remove the cupcakes
from the refrigerator. Pipe a design (a squiggle, spiral, etc.) on
the top of each cupcake. Let the design harden and then cover and
refrigerate the cupcakes. Serve at room temperature.
The cupcakes can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance, or
frozen up to 2 weeks.
Makes 22 to 24 miniature cupcakes.
