Friday Food: Cherry Ripe Cupcakes

As I mentioned over a week ago, I was intending to bake the Cherry Ripe Cupcakes, from the August Taste magazine, for Sewing supper. I was struck down by a bug and so we all went to bed for three days and I ended up baking on Sunday. Although you can tizzy these up to the nth degree, the basic recipe is quick and easy, and they look nice with some, a bit, or all the extra embellishments. I found some fresh cherries at the supermarket, so I added those to lighten the richness. If you can find the Mini Oreos and freeze dried strawberries, that's great. I managed the Mini Oreos, but popped a fresh cherry on top as a replacement for the strawberries.

MrsDrWho, a seasoned cake aficionado, says that these are Very Rich and you may only be able to eat one fully embellished cake!!

I didn't take pictures of making the buttercream, I slightly lost the will to keep standing up, but there are lots of buttercream tutorials on The Internet. My ganache for drizzling was a tad too thick, but I just went ahead and drizzled thickly. I made half the recipe and, using my ice-cream scoop to fill the cupcake papers, it yielded 8 cakes.

I shall make these again, and decorate them simply, because they were so easy to make: melt and mix, and even just with a little ganache and a Cherry Ripe wedge, they look rather special.

NB Sensibly, an Australian tablespoon is 20ml, or 4 x 5ml teaspoons.

 

 

 

 

Cherry Ripe Cupcakes      makes 12-16

• 150g (1 cup) self-raising flour
• 110g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 45g (1/2 cup) desiccated coconut
• 30g (1/4 cup) cocoa, I used Dutch processed
• 150g (about 2/3 cup) butter, melted
• 125ml (1/2 cup) coconut cream/milk
• 2 eggs
• 4 x 52g bars of Cherry Ripe, cut into 1cm pieces
• optional, some fresh cherries, chopped

For the ganache:

• 300g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 125ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream
• 2 tbspn thickened cream extra

For the buttercream:

• 375g butter, softened
• 450g (3 cups) icing sugar mixture
• 1 tbspn milk
• 100g dark chocolate, melted and cooled
• red food colouring

And extra decorations:

• 1 packet of Mini Oreos
• 3 x 52g Cherry Ripe bars cut into long triangular shapes
• fresh cherries to pop on top

 

 

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/160*C fan-forced and line a muffin tin with paper cases.

Place the flour, coconut, sugar and cocoa in a large bowl and whisk together.

Combine the melted butter, eggs and coconut cream. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in.

Add the Cherry Ripe pieces and fresh cherries, if you are using them, and then gently mix together until everything is well combined.

Scoop into the cupcake papers, I used an ice-cream scoop, and then bake for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then move to a rack to cool completely.

I usually make my buttercream while the cakes are baking. Please use the clicky links at the top of the post for the method. I made the batch of buttercream and divided it in two, and then added melted chocolate to one half and red food colouring to the other. I then whisked each furiously to combine. Fill some piping bags with tips, or not, and set aside.

Meanwhile make the chocolate ganache. Melt the chocolate and cream in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring well, until the chocolate is almost melted. Then stir till smooth. Allow to cool for 20 minutes until it thickens a little. Reserve 1/2 a cup and add to it the extra thickened cream. This will be for drizzling.

Spread the remaining ganache over the top of the cooled cupcakes.

Pipe the chocolate buttercream onto each cupcake and then top with a pink buttercream swirl. Cut each Cherry Ripe bar into 4 wedges, 12 in all but be more judicious if you have 16 cupcakes, and poke one piece into each cake, artistically. Add a Mini Oreo on the other side to balance and then pop a cherry, or whatever you choose, on top. Finally, warm the remaining thinned ganache and drizzle over the cupcake.

Un-iced/decorated these cupcakes can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days or in the freezer in an airtight container. Once they are fully decorated they really should be eaten sooner, rather than later.

Comments

[Linda]

SO lovely! All such delights should be consumed sooner than later!!! Pretty sure that is standard
operating procedure by the males in my life. Glad to hear you are feeling better. Stay warm and toasty.

[Dennis the Vizsla]

hello 2paw its dennis the vizsla dog hay i do not think their wood be enny trouble with those stikking arownd heer too long withowt beeing eeten!!! ha ha ok bye

[Bella's mum]

Omg how good are these! My mouth is watering at the thought. Making these for sure.

[catherine]

wow, looks very rich

[mrspao]

I am rather partial to a Cherry Ripe so these cupcakes sound rather wonderful