Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Rocky Road Cupcakes

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I know I promised you some other recipes in my last recipe post, and yes, they will be coming soon, but I had to share this recipe first. I mean - just look at this beauty!
We had a few friends over for a barbecue last month, and we had such a blast! Hot dogs, burgers, BBQ chicken, grilled vegetables... there was just SO much food. It was really a lovely evening. Apart from the chicken and a few sides, I was also in charge of dessert. And I decided I would make cupcakes. I went with one of my favorite chefs - Alton Brown - for the cupcake recipe. He didn't fail to deliver. And the frosting is one I've been dying to try for a while. And I am so glad I did! Turned out to be such a fun recipe to make. And I was really pleased with how the cupcakes looked!
At the spur of the moment, I decided I would try browning the marshmallow frosting on one of the cupcakes to see how it works out. See, I didn't have a blowtorch. (I do now! Yay!!!) So I torched mine using bamboo skewers set on fire. Lol. It was a very technical process requiring a high level of skill. Not. Haha. But when people tasted how amazing the 'toasted frosting' tasted, suddenly everyone wanted their cupcakes toasted. In the end, even dessert had that smoky barbecue flavor. It was a real hit, and a lot of fun! I wish I had got pictures of the cupcakes post-toasting. I was so busy eating, I forgot!

I know these cupcakes don't look very 'rocky' but I named it because of the chocolate-marshmallow-walnut combination.

Devil's Food Cupcakes
Cake recipe adapted from Alton Brown
Ingredients
1 cup boiling water
4 oz/112 grams cocoa powder
10.5 oz/300 grams sugar
8.5 oz/240 grams all-purpose flour
1 oz/28 grams corn starch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable oil
4.5 oz/128 grams thick buttermilk or sour cream
2 eggs + 2 yolks (at room temperature)
Toasted walnuts (for garnish)

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Grease and line your cupcake tray with cupcake liners. I got 12 cupcakes from this recipe.
3. Combine the boiling water with the cocoa powder, and whisk till combined. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, corn starch, baking soda, and salt. Mix well to combine.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, and yolks. Whisk well to combine.
6. Add the cocoa mixture to the oil mixture and stir well to combine.
7. With the mixer running on low speed, pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Continue on low speed for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue beating on low speed for a further 30 seconds.
8. Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake tin, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center of the cupcake springs back when pressed.
9. Allow the cupcakes to rest in the tin for 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cook completely.
10. Make sure your cupcakes have completely cooled before you frosting them.
7 Minute Frosting
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp liquid glucose (or corn syrup)
3 large egg whites
Cream of tartar, a pinch
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Method
1. In a heavy bottom saucepan, on low heat, heat the 3/4 cup sugar, water and liquid glucose. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, and cook until the soft-ball stage (235 degrees on your sugar thermometer). Take care to brush down the sides of the pan so that the syrup doesn't crystallize.
3. While the sugar is boiling, starting to whisk your egg whites with the cream of tartar until they reach soft peaks.
4. When your syrup is at 235 degrees, while continuously beating your egg whites on a low speed, slowly pour the hot syrup in a steady stream until all the syrup is added and incorporated.
5. Increase the speed of the mixer to a medium speed and beat for approximately 7 minutes. The frosting should be in stiff peaks and completely cooled by now.
6. Beat in the vanilla.
7. Use this frosting immediately or it starts to set.

Once your cupcakes are frosted, top with mini-marshmallows (I used chocolate and vanilla mini-marshmallows) and toasted walnuts and set them aside. Then all you have to do before serving them is to slightly torch the frosting for that toasty marshmallow flavor. Mmmmmm... just divine!
A little late, I know, but - Happy New Year! I hope you liked my first recipe for 2012. I hope that this year is a great year for all of us and that we all get to know each other a little better! 
God bless you! :)
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70 comments:

Sandra's Easy Cooking said...

Welcome back!!!! Love your cupcakes, they simply look divine! What a great start of 2012:)) 
Happy New Year to you too sweetie..and I hope this year is much better than the last one!!! Enjoy your day!!!

Anju said...

I shall comment because I had the good fortune to taste these. They were the best rocky road cupcakes ever!! :D I think I'd be in love with anything to do with rocky road. 

Jill Colonna said...

Marsha! Great to see you back with these cakes that definitely rock. Bamboo skewers torched? Now cheers to your creativity. Hugs and all the best for a fun 2012, full of wonderful adventures and a smooth road ahead.

Lizzy Do said...

Oh, man, these look amazing!  I need to cover the screen in case my hubby walks by...he LOVES chocolate cake, and I rarely make any!!! And what a fun idea to toast the frosting...no one at the party will ever forget these cupcakes with the torched topping!

Jackie Hale said...

Girl, you know I love cupcakes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Great job on this one and when you have a chance, mail me one all the way to the States!! lol..xo

Lynne @ 365 Days of Baking said...

Yay!!!! So very glad you're back, Marsha!! I've missed you!! These look SO delicious and I SO want to make them and finish them off with the torch, too! They must have been so yummy and such a perfect finish to a bbq!

Nami | Just One Cookbook said...

Happy New Year Marsha!  I'm glad to see your new post, and welcome back!  What delightful cupcakes to start off 2012!  Looking forward to your new posts. :-) 

Pudding Pie Lane said...

Happy New Year! I don't have a blowtorch either, but the on fire bamboo skewers are SUCH a good idea! I really wish I had used that for my last cake now, thank you for the tip :D

Magic of Spice said...

Happy New Year! These look amazing, I bet they are as delicious as they look too :)

sharizat said...

Glad to see your new post, Marsha! the cupcakes look mouthwatering! yumm! rocky or not, they look scrumptious! and enjoy your new tool-of-the-trade--blowtorch, we'll be expecting something "toasted" now :) XOXO

Renee said...

Mmmmmm. Marsha, these look like something I cannot pass up. Dying to try them now.

Renee said...

Mmmmmm. Marsha, these look like something I cannot pass up. Dying to try them now. 

Memoriesinthebaking said...

Devil's Food cake and marshmallow-type frosting—two of my favorite combinations!  And beautifully presented.

Btw,  years ago, I gave away my little blowtorch, because I move like an F5  tornado through the kitchen, and  everyone was afraid  I'd set myself  on fire. Apparently,   knives seem  to get a similar reaction :)

Kimby said...

Marsha, I scrolled up and down your post THREE TIMES because it was 1) it's so pretty (GREAT photos), 2) it included an Alton Brown recipe :), and 3) it was just plain fun to read.  (LOVE the "alternate blow torch" idea!)  Thanks for making the world a little brighter with your thoughts -- and cupcakes! 

Charis B said...

What a gorgeous blog! Love your recipes :)

Wok with Ray said...

Wow, what a beautiful and delicious looking cup cakes.  Love the design of those paper cups.

Mary said...

What pretty cupcakes! I've been wanting to try that frosting for ages, but I always forget about it when I'm finally making a frosting. Love the alternate torch idea too. That would have been a funny picture. Way to improvise!

Ann Mc said...

This is a STUNNING recipe!  I really liked that you adapted two different recipes and super stars (Alton & Martha) and wow!  Also, what a great idea to brown the frosting....I bet it was amazing!

ping kay said...

Happy New Year! You sure came back with a bang! These are gorgeous! So elegant ... love the wrappers. The frosting sounds a lot like an italian meringue. Great idea! This should hold together nicely. Frostings don't do too well in our weather and keeps threatening to slide down my sleeves... ew. 

Jenny @ Ichigo Shortcake said...

This cupcake looks totally amazing! Wish I could dig in right now, I'm craving for something sweet and indulgent...
Today's actually Chinese/Lunar New Year so you're not late at all :D Happy New Year!

Roxana GreenGirl said...

i love these cupcakes. they look absolutely amazing. I tried a couple of Alton Brown recipes and they all turned out great!
Love the paper liners, so cute! They match the cupcakes!

Gina said...

Happy New Year to you too Marsha.  Love these cute cupcakes, I'm glad you got that torch too, the skewer sounded a bit dangerous, lol.  Wishing you a wonderful new year ahead, it sure is off to a fast start isn't it.
-Gina-

Www AnnaLizrecipes said...

Marsha , thanks for stopping by our blog!  Great cupcake recipe.  Beautiful photos too!
Hope you enjoyed your time away!  :)

Anna Petralia said...

Great recipe!  Happy New Year!

www.2sistersrecipes.com

Marsha @ The Harried Cook said...

Thank you, Sandra! :) I sure hope so too... Thanks for stopping by!

theharriedcook said...

You are such a sweetheart. So kind, lovable, huggable and cute. Thank you! :D

theharriedcook said...

LOL :D Necessity is the mother of invention, isn't it? :) Thank you, Jill! You're the best... I hope you have a wonderful year too... Thanks for everything!

theharriedcook said...

LOL :D Yeah toasting the frosting was fun :) Thanks for your kind comment, Lizzy!

theharriedcook said...

:D Big hugs to you, Jackie! You always make me smile... 

theharriedcook said...

Thank you, Lynne! :D You should try it when you can :) Thanks for stopping by...

theharriedcook said...

Thanks, Nami! I am looking to a great 2012 for all of us :) Thanks for stopping by!

theharriedcook said...

Thank you! :D I don't know if it was the best of ideas, but it sure worked and made the party very interesting :) Thanks for stopping by!

theharriedcook said...

Thank you :) I appreciate the kind comment :)

theharriedcook said...

Thanks, Sharizat! I look forward to experimenting with my new blowtorch. I'm sure it's going to be fun! :)

theharriedcook said...

Thanks, Renee! I've missed you... :)

theharriedcook said...

Thanks :D Your comment really made me laugh... I think my kitchen is also always at risk of burning down :) sounds like we're very alike :) Thanks for stopping by!

theharriedcook said...

Aww.. thanks Kim! That's such a sweet comment! You made my day... Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to write this!

theharriedcook said...

Thank you so much for visiting.... come back soon!

theharriedcook said...

I do too! I have only a few and I'm using them only for special parties :) Thanks for stopping by and for your kind comment :)

theharriedcook said...

It is such a great frosting! :) Thanks for stopping by to encourage me! :)

theharriedcook said...

And yes, why didn't I take a picture of the bamboo torch? :) LOL you're right - it would have made a great picture!

theharriedcook said...

Happy Chinese New Year to you! :) Thanks for stopping by and for your sweet comment!

theharriedcook said...

Thank you so much! :) It turned out great :)

theharriedcook said...

Thank you, Ping... I know what you mean about warm weather and frosting, but this one holds together great! thanks for stopping by!  

theharriedcook said...

Thanks, Roxana... I adore these paper cups too... And yes, Alton Brown rocks! :D Thanks for stopping by!

theharriedcook said...

Thank you, Gina! :) Yes, especially considering how accident prone I am, I too am glad that I don't have to repeat the skewer-technique again :) Thanks for your wishes and for stopping by!

theharriedcook said...

Thank you for your kind words, and for stopping by! I did get a lot done while I was away from blogging :)

theharriedcook said...

Thank you so much! :) Happy New Year to you too

theharriedcook said...

And yes, why didn't I take a picture of the bamboo torch? :) LOL you're right - it would have made a great picture!

Carolyn said...

Oh wow, those look fantastic! Rocky road is one of my favourite IC flavours.

Frugal Antics said...

Those are gorgeous cupcakes!  I can see why you were so excited to post them  They sound wonderful toasted, too.  Now you will have to make them again so we can see the end result :-)

FreeSpiritEater said...

I could totally devour all of these! Yum! I've had rocky road ice cream but not in cupcake form, nice! Thanks for sharing, the photos are mouth watering too =] 

theharriedcook said...

Oh wow, those look fantastic! Rocky road is one of my favourite IC flavours. 

Carolyn said...

Oh wow, those look fantastic! Rocky road is one of my favourite IC flavours. 

theharriedcook said...

You are right! I should make them again... :) Thanks for stopping by, Kristen! 

theharriedcook said...

Thank you, Ky! :) This was the first time I "cupcaked" Rocky Road :) wasn't very rocky, but it tasted good :) Thanks for stopping by!

theharriedcook said...

 Mine too! :) Thank you for stopping by, Carolyn! 

Amanda said...

yummy! love those wrappers too!

elisabeth@foodandthrift said...

Hi Marsha-So glad to see you back, again...I double checked the follow, and for some reason I did not see myself on it, so I'm following you again. What a gorgeous group of the most amazing Devil's Food cupcakes, and the 7 minute frosting is sheer "heaven"...the swirls are an absolute perfection. Also love the cute design cupcake holders. The photos are magnificent, as well:DDD
xoxo

Lou said...

Oh my!! These are almost too tasty looking to make! Where do you come up with these! Beautiful!

theharriedcook said...

Thank you, Amanda! :)

theharriedcook said...

Awww.. thank you, Elisabeth! You are so kind... those papers are adorable, aren't they? Thank you for stopping by and for your kind comment! 

theharriedcook said...

Thank you, Amanda! :)

theharriedcook said...

Thank you, Lou! I really appreciate it the sweet comment! :) Thanks for stopping by!

theharriedcook said...

Awww.. thank you, Elisabeth! You are so kind... those papers are adorable, aren't they? Thank you for stopping by and for your kind comment! 

Nancy/SpicieFoodie said...

Your cupcakes are perfection! My mouth is watering just looking at them. Thanks for participating in the YBR :) 

Amy said...

These look absolutely delicious! Love cupcakes! 

Adele Forbes said...

I bet that these are the moistest cupcakes ever! And the chocolate did it for me right from the start, not to mention the Rocky Road part...and I love the cute holders! Thank you so very much for sharing!

Suzgrrl said...

YES! I've always prefered walnuts, and I remember the original Rocky Road candy bars had walnuts in them, NOT almonds, which are too hard and crunchy!

Hungry Forever said...

Oh my goodness, Devil's Cup Cake looks delicious! I’m definitely making this! thanks for sharing!

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