I'm looking for something decadent for fall. I was sipping some Sophie's Choice wine from Punk Dog Vineyards which has some great chocolate notes. In my gluttonous inebriated state, I dreamed up a chocolate cake with frosting with wine and raspberries. I also wished that it would be pretty...
Cocoa Merlot Cupcakes
Cake:
1/2 cup (50 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 cup (240 ml) coffee
1/2 cup merlot or red wine
1 1/3 cups (175 grams) all purposeflour
2 teaspoonsbaking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Frosting:
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup Chambord or other raspberry liqueur
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter or line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a small bowl stir until smooth the coffee, wine and the cocoa powder. Let cool to room temperature.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with rubber/silicon spatula if needed. Mix in vanilla. Add the flour mixture in staggered increments and beat until just incorporated. Finally, add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.
Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 16 -20 minutes( or until risen, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Be careful not to over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.) Remove cakes from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
While waiting for the cupcakes to bake, make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the raspberry liqueur.
You can frost the cupcakes when completely cooled. I like to pipe the frosting with a big tip.
I topped the cupcakes above with some leftover melted chocolate spread onto a transfer sheet and cut with cookie cutter.
