A treat inspired by my recent trip to Colorado. "Altitude" is a Blue Moon (Belgian style witbier native to Colorado) and orange infused chocolate cake, filled and overflowed with a dark chocolate ganache and topped with mini marshmallows and walnut pieces, mimicking the rocky landscape of the mid-west.
Chocolate Cupcake
1 cup Blue Moon beer
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp orange zest
juice of 1/2 orange
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease pan(s).
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the Blue Moon and butter, whisking until the butter is completely melted; remove from heat. Whisk in the unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla and sugar until smooth and allow to cool. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Once the Blue Moon mixture has come to roughly room temperature, beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the dry ingredients to the mixture. Fold in the orange zest and juice. Pour into pans. This recipe yielded 18 minis and 12 regular size cupcakes, baked for 10 and 12 minutes respectively.
Bluemoon Ganache
8 oz dark chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp Blue Moon beer
Chop up chocolate and place in a heat proof bowl. Heat cream over stove in a small saucepan and remove at first sign of boil. Add the cream to the chocolate and allow it to sit 1 minute. Press the cream into the chocolate. Once uniform, stir in the butter and beer.
Decorating:
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup mini marshmallows
Once the cakes have cooled, cut a hole into the center of each to fill with ganache and slightly overflow, allowing a thin layer of topping for which to adhere the walnuts and mini marshmallows.
1 cup Blue Moon beer
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp orange zest
juice of 1/2 orange
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease pan(s).
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the Blue Moon and butter, whisking until the butter is completely melted; remove from heat. Whisk in the unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla and sugar until smooth and allow to cool. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Once the Blue Moon mixture has come to roughly room temperature, beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the dry ingredients to the mixture. Fold in the orange zest and juice. Pour into pans. This recipe yielded 18 minis and 12 regular size cupcakes, baked for 10 and 12 minutes respectively.
Bluemoon Ganache
8 oz dark chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp Blue Moon beer
Chop up chocolate and place in a heat proof bowl. Heat cream over stove in a small saucepan and remove at first sign of boil. Add the cream to the chocolate and allow it to sit 1 minute. Press the cream into the chocolate. Once uniform, stir in the butter and beer.
Decorating:
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup mini marshmallows
Once the cakes have cooled, cut a hole into the center of each to fill with ganache and slightly overflow, allowing a thin layer of topping for which to adhere the walnuts and mini marshmallows.
The panel:
Unanimous vote on dryness complimented by a similar vote on the delectable ganache filling. Some were able to taste the beer and orange components while they went undetected for others. Most also appreciated the meaty walnuts (Sweets doesn't generally like them) and some suggested throwing them into the batter. The marshmallows were also lackluster in appearance and flavour (only Sweet Pea complimented their presence). Glameow recommended a candied orange topper.
Sweets: "Some kind of drizzle might capture the look you are going for."
Glameow: "I love me a Blue Moon with an orange slice and this cupcake captured that in it's chocolatey goodness very well."
Shannah: "Overall, a good cupcake!"
My comments:
Orange flavour could definitely afford to be kicked up a notch. The ganache was spot on but the cake could have used a little less of it as it was a little overwhelming doing double duty as a filling and a topper. The cakes sitting overnight caused the marshmallows to be even softer than usual, they should be a last minute addition or baked in. The suggestion to add candied orange would be highly considered for a future rendition.
Unanimous vote on dryness complimented by a similar vote on the delectable ganache filling. Some were able to taste the beer and orange components while they went undetected for others. Most also appreciated the meaty walnuts (Sweets doesn't generally like them) and some suggested throwing them into the batter. The marshmallows were also lackluster in appearance and flavour (only Sweet Pea complimented their presence). Glameow recommended a candied orange topper.
Sweets: "Some kind of drizzle might capture the look you are going for."
Glameow: "I love me a Blue Moon with an orange slice and this cupcake captured that in it's chocolatey goodness very well."
Shannah: "Overall, a good cupcake!"
My comments:
Orange flavour could definitely afford to be kicked up a notch. The ganache was spot on but the cake could have used a little less of it as it was a little overwhelming doing double duty as a filling and a topper. The cakes sitting overnight caused the marshmallows to be even softer than usual, they should be a last minute addition or baked in. The suggestion to add candied orange would be highly considered for a future rendition.