Well, looking at some of my recent posts I realized that I hadn’t posted a really good recipe lately, so I thought I would pass this one your way…since we all need to pack on a couple more pounds before summer…right?!?  Well, even if packing on a couple pounds doesn’t sound appetizing to you, once you see these cupcakes you won’t care what the results are…you’ll just want to eat one…or two or three!

These photos are from a recent class I taught at Prep Kitchen Essentials in Seal Beach, CA.  The class was of course all about cupcakes and this time we focused on really decadent, yummy cupcakes and not so much on the decorating aspect of it.  Here was the menu…

Hummingbird Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Samoas Cupcakes (Courtesy of Chockylit)

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Filling & Chocolate Ganache Frosting

I would have to say that the Samoas Cupcakes were the biggest winner of the day.  Everyone in the class agreed that they were definitely worth the extra effort and couldn’t stop talking about how yummy they were. If you haven’t visited Chockylit’s blog, www.cupcakeblog.com, then you have to!  You will get lost in the delicious looking photos and the yummy flavor concepts.  Well, without further ado here are the photos and the recipe for the Samoas Cupcakes!

Samoas Cupcakes

Brown Sugar Butter Cupcakes

24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cup light brown sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds after each.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
5. Measure out milk and vanilla together.
6. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
7. Add about one third the milk/vanilla mixture and beat until combined.
8. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full.
10. Bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Toasted Coconut Topping

2 eggs

10 ounces evaporated milk

1-1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

3 cups shredded, sweet coconut

1. Spread the coconut onto a sheet pan. Toast in a 350 degree oven, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the coconut is an even brown color, about 10 minutes.
2. Crack the eggs into a small saucepan and beat lightly to break up.
3. Add milk, sugar, and butter. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thick, bubbly, and golden, about 15 minutes.
4. Press mixture through a metal sieve and into a bowl to remove any lumps.
5. Add 2 cups of the coconut, reserving the remainder for assembly, stir to combine.
6. Let the mixture cool.

Caramel

1/2 cup water

2 cup sugar

4 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoon butter

1. Combine the water, sugar, and the corn syrup in a deep saucepan and cook over medium heat.
2. Stir together with a wooden spoon until the sugar is incorporated.
3. Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
4. After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
5. Do not stir from this point on, but it is important to carefully shake the pan so that one area of the caramel doesn’t burn.
6. Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds.
7. *** This is the dangerous part *** Pour the heavy cream into the mixture. Wear oven mitts, stand away from the pan, and be careful. The mixture will bubble up significantly.
8. Stir the mixture, again being careful. Add the butter and stir until combined.
9. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool.

Note: You will have leftover caramel, it stores well refrigerated in an airtight container for about a month.

Chocolate Ganache

16 ounces bittersweet chocolate like Valrhona 61% cocao

2 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Chop chocolate and transfer into a heat proof bowl.
2. Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, pour cream over the chocolate.
3. Let sit for 1 minute then stir until combined.
4. Add vanilla and stir until combined.
5. Let cool to room temperature.

Assemble

1. Using a small pairing knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the cone.
2. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon of caramel.
3. Replace the top of the cone.
4. Smooth on a light coating of chocolate ganache.
5. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to harden the ganache.
6. With your hands, press out a disk of the coconut topping and place on top of the cupcake. Press to shape the mixture into a dome.
7. Press in some more plain toasted coconut on top of that.
8. Drizzle the top with lines of ganache. Note that you may have to warm the ganache over a water bath to get it to drizzling consistency.