Cream filled vanilla cupcakes with ganache glaze and coconut

Posted by chockylit in General (Friday January 22, 2010 at 12:03 am)
These cupcakes were inspired by Mr. P’s lamington challenge. Mr. P happens to come from Cardiff and I was making cupcakes for coworkers from Cardiff! It was kismet really. I had to do it.
Lamingtons are Australian and are a cube of cake coated in chocolate and rolled in coconut. What I am presenting here are indeed not lamingtons, but cupcakes inspired by them. I made two versions of these cupcakes, both with cream, but one with vanilla sea salt and one with blackberry jam. I did this mostly because I wanted to present both bittersweet chocolate and white chocolate frosted cupcakes. It’s easy enough to change up the fillings with whatever you have. I happened to have Welsh vanilla sea salt…
I also opted for a denser cupcake recipe as I wanted a slight dome given I was only glazing the cupcake. In the end I wasn’t super excited by the cupcakes and here is why. I like a lot of frosting. A thin coating of chocolate just doesn’t cut it for me. A cupcake really isn’t a cupcake without 2 inches of delicious frosting piled on top. The next recipe I do will have just that…
Vanilla Cupcakes from Martha Stewart
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time; scrape down bowl, and beat in vanilla.
3. Add flour mixture and milk alternatively, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
4. Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, about three-quarters full each. Bake until golden and tops spring back to touch, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer pans to wire rack; cool completely.
Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Whisk cream until soft peaks form.
2. Add sugar and whisk until combined.
White and Dark Chocolate Ganache Glaze

6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
3.5 ounce bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3.5 ounce white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Divide the butter in half (two 3 tablespoon portions).
2. Put the chopped chocolates in two bowls. White in one and bittersweet in the other.
3. Put about half of the half portion of butter into each bowl (~1.5 tablespoons in each bowl).
4. Place the bowls over a pan of simmering water (I did one at a time) and let rest for 30 seconds.
5. Mix the chocolate and butter until melted and smooth.
6. Add the reminaing butter from the 3 tablespoon portion, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and mix to combine.
7. Let cool 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to spread. Repeat with the other chocolate
Assemble

1/2 cup dried, unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup blackberry jam
~ 2 teaspoons vanilla sea salt, purchased or made with sea salt and vanilla bean

1. Fill the cupcakes with cream using the cone method. This post has step by step photos of the method. I fill half with cream and a pinch of vanilla sea salt and half with cream and blackberry jam.
2. Top the vanilla sea salt and cream filled ones with bittersweet chocolate and sprinkle with coconut.
3. Top the blackberry jam and cream filled ones with white chocolate and sprinkle with coconut.