Dark and moody but oh so delicious! These gothic style cupcakes are perfect for halloween or even if you are just feeling some type of way. They are made up of a super moist and fluffy chocolate cake, blueberry compote, and topped with decadent chocolate swiss meringue buttercream. They are to die for lol lol
Makes 16-18 cupcakes
Chocolate cupcakes
2 cups white sugar
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (210 grams)
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup full fat milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee
black food coloring
Blueberry Compote:
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
3 tbs water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbs lemon juice
Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
1 cup granulated sugar
1 3/4 cup unsalted butter
pinch of salt
5 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips
Chocolate Skulls:
1 cup - white melting chocolate. (i like this brand)
blackberries
skull 3d mold (here is the one I used)
Chocolate cupcakes:
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line your muffin tin with liners. set aside
2.Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; mix for 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Stir in hot coffee by hand. Add a few drops of black food coloring and mix. Pour evenly into the prepared muffin cavities.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.
Bluebeerry compote:
1. Combine 1 cup of the blueberries, water, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the rest of the blueberries and cook for 5-8 minutes more, stirring frequently.
2. Place in an airtight container in the fridge to fully cool before adding to cupcakes.
Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
1. Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in the heatproof bowl of a standing mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved. Mixture should reach 160 Fahrenheit.
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer and mix on the highest setting for about 5-7 minutes until you reach stiff glossy peaks.
3. Make sure bowl isn’t warm before you start adding your butter. With the mixer on the highest setting Add the butter a few TBS at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Once all the butter is added, add vanilla and continue to mix for an additional 2 minutes.
5. Melt your chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 20 second intervals, mixing in between each interval. Be careful not to burn your chocolate.
6. Add melted chocolate to your buttercream. To make the buttercream black add a few drops of black oil based food coloring to it. Alternatively you can add black cocoa powder to your buttercream but keep in mind it will give it an oreo-y taste.
7. Transfer your buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a 1m piping tip or any other large star tip.
Assemble:
To make the chocolate skulls- Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20 second intervals, mixing in between each interval. Transfer chocolate to a piping bag anf pipe a dollop in each cavity avoiding the forehead of the skull. Place a blackberry where the forehead is. Cover the mold the attachment it comes with and pour more chocolate into each cavity. Place mold in the fridge so chocolate fully sets.
Once cupcakes have fully cooled, use the large side of a piping tip to create a cavity in the center of your cupcake. Fill the cavity with the cooled blueberry compote. Pipe the buttercream in a large swirl over the center of your cavity. Top it with the blackberry skull and an edible flower.