Before starting out Sugarlace, there have been a few websites that has given me inspiration with their creativity and talent. One of the websites that had me falling off my chair post after post is Tartelette. Not only has she got the culinary talent of a pastry chef, but she is also gifted with a unique writing style that somehow makes me think that I can hear her speak with her French accent while reading her entries.

So when I decided to try out a new chocolate cupcake recipe, I turn to her Bittersweet Chocolate cupcake recipe because I know that it would never let me down. Yep – that’s how much faith I have on her and her recipes. Turns out, I wasn’t mistaken.

All photos have very very VERY bad lighting because I was in a hurry to go to a German themed party (hence the need to bring black forest cupcakes) at 8pm on a Saturday night. I knew that it was the only chance I’ll have of taking photos, so I just went ahead and used the bad lighting and shaky hands that I got.

Black Forest Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from Tartelette’s Bittersweet Chocolate cupcake recipe

Makes approximately 24 cupcakes

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

220g (or 2 sticks) soft, unsalted butter

1 cup caster sugar

4 eggs

300g bittersweet chocolate

1 cup buttermilk

1. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Stir a bit to evenly melt the chocolate. Set aside and cool.

Bittersweet chocolate and chocolate chips

2. Preheat the oven to 175 deg C. Line your muffin tray with paper cases.

3. In a bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder.

4. In another bowl, mix together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time.

5. Add the chocolate until well combined.

6. Add the dry ingredients and whilst alternating with the buttermilk. Mix until well combined.

7. Divide batter evenly on to paper cases. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Cool before frosting.

Chocolate Ganache

500ml thickened cream

350g bittersweet chocolate

1. In a saucepan, heat the cream until simmering.

2. In another bowl, put the chopped chocolate bits. Pour in the simmering cream and let stand for a couple of minutes before stirring.

3. Stir well until a smooth ganache forms.

There is something artistically marble-y about this, no?

4. Refrigerate for a few hours to thicken the consistency abit.

Preparation

1 tsp sour cherry jam per cupcake = 24 tsps

Lalin Sour Cherry Jam

1. Cut out the middle top of the cooled cupcakes. Spoon in the cherry (the jam comes with a sweet/sour syrup and whole cherries, so I gave one cherry per cupcake).

2. Return the cut out “top hat”, and frost with chocolate ganache as desired.

Mega flash! Showing the innards of the oh so moist cupcakes!

…

Oh, and the cupcakes were a hit. Everyone polished it off in minutes. At first I only took out 6, and that went flying as hands kept digging in the plate, so I took out 6 more, and in the end I just had to take the whole thing out. I had to save one cupcake for a friend who was coming in late – she kept thanking me because apparently, it was delish. Teehee. *blush*

And let me just add, that this stuff…

… this stuff is fantastic! I had my doubts before because it was an impulse buy (I parked in the supermarket in Auburn and needed to purchase something to validate my parking ticket, so what better way to spend some hard earned cash than on baking goods, right?), but now I think I’m inlove.

I’m halfway through the jar already after the black forest cupcake adventures, and I’m just gearing myself up for more to come!