A Cupcake Competition

I've been in this new (ish) job for about 3 and a half months now and I've gotten to know some of the people pretty well. Us data entry girls seems to have a sort of running competition of who can out do each other with the IT boys whose office is on the other side of the wall from ours. One of them, Tristan, decided he'd like to rubbish my baking and was going on about how I burn things all the time (which I don't!!) and when I found out he could bake too, well. It was time for a little competition! I challenged, he accepted and we decided that cupcakes would be a fun thing to make. For mine I used the dark chocolate cupcake base that has become my go-to and fav and added graham crackers and a toasted marshmallow frosting. I didn't realise that Tristan had never made cupcakes before, so his were really pretty good for a first try! But, alas, I came out on top... His were actually really nice and I think it was a pretty good fight! Till next time ae?

PS: I actually made double the recipe this time because I wanted to have extra and it worked out to exactly 24 cupcakes, but this one makes 12. :)

Tristan's cupcakes-vanilla with lime buttercream frosting

Fierce competition...

Mine :)

Chocolate Graham Cracker Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting a.k.a S'Mores Cupcakes

Ingredients:
115g butter, softened and cut into cubes
50g dark chocolate bits
1/2 cup dutch-processed or other dark cocoa powder
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (or 3/4 cup of flour and no graham cracker crumbs. Or digestive biscuits)
1/2t baking soda
3/4t baking powder
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1t vanilla extract
1/2t table salt
1/2 cup sour cream

Chocolate bits
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (or digestives)
40g butter

• 8 large egg whites
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line standard-size muffin pan with cupcake liners. Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. (Alternately, you can microwave the mixture at a lower power, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted. This is what I did.) Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and baking soda over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is and thick. Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Sprinkle chocolate bits and graham cracker topping over the batter, making sure you get the graham cracker topping right to the edges so that you can see it once the cupcakes are frosted. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 30 minutes. I used Becca's piping bag fitted with a large open star tip instead of my usual piping bottles because the frosting is quite thick. I think I shall have to invest because I have seen the light of piping bags again! It was so easy and her one is amazing. Sigh, I'm going to go find one next week. So after piping the frosting on, either broil them in the oven on the highest setting until the frosting turns brown (I didn't do this so I'm not entirely sure how it would work out...), or use a blowtorch to lightly brown the frosting. YUM.

Graham Cracker Topping:

Melt the butter and process the graham crackers in a food processor until they are just crumbs. Then add the melted butter and process again until mixed.

Marshmallow Frosting:

The quantities of this recipe for the frosting are for 24 cupcakes, so adjust them accordingly.

Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a saucepan with simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat, starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix until combined. Use immediately.

Tupperware cupcake taker, isn't it cool??