Double Chocolate Chip Frappacinos – in a cupcake.

Quick Update: There’s a contest going on for a couple dozen of these handmade cupcake holders – and a $25 gift card! Go check it out…then come back and read the recipe!

Well, here it is, folks. I love these. (See my confession at the end if you wanna know why.) I made these kinda for me – and those kids at the rehearsal dinner who didn’t like coffee. (I think there was, maybe, one?) These still were the first to go – even though there were just as many as the caramel fraps!

Does anyone else study cookbooks during their daughter’s violin lesson and doctors appointments?

Maybe it has something to do with these cupcakes going all over the place this week. To my new friends in Spain, Germany, Hong Kong and Canada – hello! Let me know when I can come visit. I’ll bring cupcakes.  Anyway, back the recipe.

For the Chocolate Cake. This is the only time I’ve every used a box mix for cupcakes. It just gives me the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made. And it’s easy. Well, easier than those other ones.

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package devil’s food cake mix (I’m a Duncan Hines fan, personally, but use what you like best.)
• 1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into the muffin tins. Fill ‘em up 3/4 full.
3. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees F. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cupcakes thoroughly in the pan at least a few minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack. Cool Completely.

Yield: 24 cupcakes + sometimes one extra. I don’t have to tell you where the extra one goes. These things are almost as good as that caramel drizzle stuff. Seriously.

For the Chocolate Mousse - the yummy filling several of the wedding rehearsal guests drank right down…

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 large egg yolks
1/3 cup water
1 package of Semisweet Chocolate Chips

2 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream

NOTE: You can cut this recipe in half – you’ll have enough for one batch of cupcakes.  But sometimes you might like to have more…you know, just because.

1. Whisk sugar, yolks, water in large metal bowl.
2.  Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water); whisk until candy thermometer registers 160°F, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the chocolate chips into another bowl and set aside.

 3. Remove egg mixture bowl from over water. Pour it over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for a minute or two, then stir. Do not drink this – at least not all of it.   Using electric mixer, beat egg/chocolate mixture until cool and thick, about 5 minutes.

               4.Beat cream in another large bowl until stiff peaks form.

         5. Fold the cream into the chocolate egg mixture.

For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing:

3/4 cup sugar
4 egg whites
2 sticks unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Heat sugar, egg whites, and salt in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisking until sugar dissolves and mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Return bowl to mixer, and whisk, gradually increasing speed from low to medium-high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 10 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add butter, a few pieces at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Switch to a paddle attachment and beat until air bubbles are gone, 2 to 3 minutes more. (Or if you have a regular mixer like mine, *ahem*, honey,* ahem* Christmas gift…)

For the Chocolate Drizzle:

Are you ready for this? It’s tough. It’s so tough I had to sit down with a spoon and a cup of milk afterwards just to enjoy the labors of my work. All my slaving hard work for this one.

Take a deep breath….

Seriously – why re-create this?

To assemble the cupcakes:

Once cupcakes are cool, core out the center of each one. Using a pastry bag, pipe a small amount of chocolate sauce, then pipe chocolate mousse until the center is almost full, and then top with another piping of chocolate.

Once all cupcakes are filled, pipe swiss meringue buttercream onto each one using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.

Lastly, use a sturdy plastic freezer bag or disposable plastic pastry bag with a small hole cut out of it and drizzle chocolate on top of each cupcake.
Sorry for the camera shake here – I was so excited to eat these.

And don’t forget your straws!

Confession: I don’t drink coffee. I’ve tried. So those Caramel Frappacino cupcakes 52,000 of you looked at this week? I’ve never tasted them.  That’s the sole reason for making up these amazing chocolate ones – I really wanted a cupcake.  Please don’t hold it against me!  Around 100 of my friends and family have had them and they raved. So go ahead try them and let me know how they turn out.  BUT if you’re like me, and coffee just isn’t your thing. These Double Chocolate Chip Frappacino Cupcakes are the answer.