Martha Stewart's Black Forest Cupcakes

By idocakes

Ingredients

• cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tins
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for tins
• 2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 jar (12 ounces) preserved cherries in light syrup (make your own Cherries in Kirsch Simple Syrup-see recipe below)
• 2 tablespoons kirsch (cherry flavoured brandy)
• Michel Roux’s Crème Pâtissière or Martha’s Pastry Cream
• Chocolate Ganache Glaze

Details

Servings 32
Adapted from gracessweetlife.com

Preparation

Step 1

1Preheat oven to 350° F. Brush standard muffin tins with butter; dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a medium-size bowl.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and continue to beat until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined, scraping down sides of bowl often. Mix in the sour cream. Reduce the speed to low. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 3 additions of buttermilk, and mixing until just combined after each.
Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until tops are firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
To assemble, drain cherries, reserving 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons syrup. Cut each cherry in half. Combine the reserved syrup and kirsch in a small bowl. Using a serrated knife, gently cut cupcakes in half horizontally. Using a pastry brush, brush both cut sides with the kirsch mixture. Arrange halved cherries over the cupcake bottoms; spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon pastry cream evenly over cherries. Replace top halves. Spoon 2 tablespoons glaze over tops. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.
Cherries in Kirsch Simple Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups cherries
1/4 cup kirsch (cherry flavoured brandy)
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir to combine (ensure all sugar is moistened). Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Reduce heat, add the cherries and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the cherries are slightly softened (don’t cook too long, you want the cherries to hold their shape).
Add kirsch and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.
Pastry Cream
(from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes)

Makes about 3 cups
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Pinch of salt
2 cups milk
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan, and heat over medium. Stirring constantly, gradually add milk in a slow, steady stream, and cook until mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.
Whisking constantly, slowly pour one-third of the milk mixture into egg yolks (this step is called tempering, which keeps the egg yolks from curdling). Pour mixture into remaining milk mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a full boil. It should be thick enough to hold its shape when lifted with a spoon, about 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).
Chocolate Ganache Glaze
(from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes)

Makes about 1 1/4 cups
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring cream and corn syrup just to a simmer; pour mixture over the chocolate. Let stand, without stirring, until the chocolate begins to melt (2 to 3 minutes).
Using a flexible spatula, gently stir chocolate and cream mixture until totally combined; begin near the centre of the bowl and gradually work your way toward the edge, pulling in as much chocolate as possible, until the mixture is smooth and glossy. (If any pieces of chocolate remain, strain mixture through a fine sieve and discard solids.) If not using immediately, glaze can be refrigerated up to 5 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently before using.