Day 236 – Chocolate Italian Wedding Cupcakes

Chocolate Italian Wedding Cupcakes (recipe below from Evil Shenanigans).  I’m not really sure what that means, but I’m excited about it.  And who doesn’t need a little indulgence to start the week off. Right?  Enjoy today’s Musical Monday selection.

Alright, now dig into these!

    

The cupcakes are dense and cakey. They almost feel dry, but they aren’t. It’s just cause they’re crumbly. They very fudgy with a strong cocoa flavor. They kinda remind me of a flourless chocolate brownie – dense, fudgy and almost a little tartness.

The frosting (before adding coconut and pecans) is the consistency of pudding. Smooth and fluffy. The coconut and nuts give it a nice texture. It’s a sweet, very chocolatey frosting with a nice bite from the nuts.

Note: The original recipe has this frosting piped on, but once you mix in the coconut and pecans, that’s not really an option, which is why mine is spread on.

    

The frosting is the star of this cupcake. It brings out all the best parts of the cupcake. It lightens it and makes it feel creamier overall. There’s a lot of chocolate in this cupcake, but it’s not overly rich. The coconut and the pecans break it up really nicely with a little crunch and a little bite.

    

Scoring Sheet:

• Cupcake Taste: 3

• Frosting Taste: 4

• Overall Taste: 4

• Appearance: 3.5
• Ease of Making: 3.5
• TOTAL: 18

RECIPE

Chocolate Italian Wedding Cupcakes (recipe from Evil Shenanigans)

For the cake:

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons crushed cocoa nibs

For the frosting:

• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 cup (about 6 ounces)  semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I used chips)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups powdered sugar

For directions visit Evil Shenanigans.

*Tomorrow: Lemon Lover Cupcakes*