Chocolate babycakes
Why I Love This Recipe
Last time I made this the bottom shelf of my oven collapsed and the babycakes ended up on the heating element, so they naturally burned. In a desperate bid to save them I cut off the burned bottoms but they weren't baked inside. It seemed like a really good idea to just cover them in whipped cream anyway and we (my friends and I) ate them like that, and ended up being so messy that a food fight erupted. One of those 'you had to be there' moments.
Ingredients You'll Need
5 oz. unsweetened chocolate
6 T. ( 3/4 stick) butter, at room temperature
9 T. sugar
1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, separated
2 T. all-purpose flour
For the glaze:
6 T. heavy (whipping) cream
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate
Directions
To make the cakes: Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Place cup cake tray in oven.
Melt the unsweetened chocolate in the top of a boiler placed over simmering water. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter, 5 T. sugar and the vanilla in a medium-sized bowl until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds, occasionally scrapping the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Add the egg yolks and beat on medium speed until blended, about 30 seconds, stopping the mixer once to scrape the bowl.
Add the flour on medium-low speed and blend for 15 seconds, stopping the mixer once to scrape the bowl. Then add the melted chocolate on medium speed and blend for 15 seconds, stopping the mixer once to scrape the bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy, 20 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the remaining 4 T. sugar, beating until the white forms firm but not dry peaks, about 45 seconds.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter to loosen it. Then gently fold in the remaining whites.
Fill each muffin cup one half or two thirds full with batter. I like to use an ice cream scoop to fill up the muffin cups.
Place babycakes in the oven and bake until set, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan. Then place on a cooling rack ready to be glazed.
To make the glaze: Heat the cream in a small saucepan to the boiling point. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate and set aside for 5 minutes. When the chocolate is melted, stir with a whisk until shiny and smooth, about 5 seconds. Transfer the glaze to a small, deep bowl.
Dip the top of each babycake in the glaze so it is well covered. Allow to set for 2 hours before serving, or place in the refrigerator to shorten the time.
Makes 24 babycakes. Serve them the day you make them, because the taste best fresh. Or store them overnight, covered, on a plate in the cupboard.
