Today’s my birthday, so I decided to make
something sweet and delicious that appeals to my inner child (assuming I could
get my feeble brain to remember that far back). When I was a tot, my favorite
treats were Hostess Snowballs. Remember them? They were devil’s food cupcakes
with a (faux) cream filling, neon pink
marshmallow coating and a sprinkling of
sweet coconut all over. I wasn’t crazy about the texture of the rubbery pink
marshmallow, but I adored the magic combination of chocolate and coconut, and
still do. I didn’t try to recreate the Snowball here (it remains in a class by
itself), but used it as inspiration for my own birthday cupcake.
The devil’s
food cupcakes are both chocolaty and tender, while the French-style
buttercream, made with whole eggs, is rich and scented with a touch of vanilla
and dark rum. A generous handful of flaked coconut adds a sweet, nutty finish. Delightful.
Happy Birthday to me; and a very Happy New Year to you….
Makes 18 cupcakes
Devil’s
Food Cupcakes:
1 ¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon (240 grams)
all-purpose flour
1 1/8 teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (141 grams) unsalted
butter, softened
1 2/3 cups (333 grams) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (75 grams) unsweetened natural
cocoa powder
2 large eggs
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups freshly brewed hot coffee
Vanilla
Rum Buttercream:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 grams)
granulated sugar
6 tablespoons water
3 large eggs
21 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly
softened
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dark rum
Topping:
¾ cup sweetened flaked coconut
Make
the cupcakes:
1. Position a rack in the center of the
oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. ‘?
Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.
Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the
flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer
fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until
creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar and beat at high speed until
light, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the cocoa powder 1
tablespoon at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula
as necessary and mixing until blended. Add the flour mixture in three
additions, mixing until the mixture is crumbly. Add the eggs, one at a time,
and the vanilla, mixing until the batter is doughy. Gradually add the hot
coffee and mix until blended. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and, using a
rubber spatula, blend the batter so that most of the lumps have disappeared (a
few remaining lumps is fine). Divide the batter between the prepared cups,
filling them about 2/3 full, and bake the cupcakes for 30 to 35 minutes, until
a toothpick inserted into the center of each comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes
in the pans set on wire racks for 20 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the
racks and cool completely.
Make
the buttercream:
4. In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric
mixer, using the whisk attachment, begin beating the eggs at medium speed.
5. In a small, heavy saucepan, combine
the sugar and water and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and
occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush, until
the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high and cook without stirring, until
it reaches 238°F on a candy thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat and
immediately pour the hot syrup in a steady stream over the beaten eggs, between
the side of the bowl and the whisk attachment. Beat at high speed until the egg
mixture is completely cool, about 4 minutes.
6. Beat the softened butter, 1 tablespoon
at a time, into the egg mixture at medium speed. Add the vanilla extract and
rum, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat the buttercream until it is
smooth and shiny, about 4 minutes. (The buttercream must be used at room
temperature.)
Frost
the cupcakes:
7. Scrape the buttercream into a pastry
bag fitted with a medium star tip (Ateco #6). Pipe a swirl of buttercream on
top of each cooled cupcake. Sprinkle each cupcake with some of the flaked
coconut. Serve the cupcakes at room temperature. Store them in an airtight
container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
