Iron Cupcake : 6 Degrees of Chocolate Celebration

This cupcake was inspired by my love of Chocolate! As the name implies, this cupcake boasts 6 degrees/layers of chocolate celebration. The cake is made from layers of white chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate.

It is then drizzled with a dark chocolate glaze, topped with a milk chocolate buttercream and white chocolate stars or white chocolate sprinkles. Served with two marshmallows on a pick, one dipped in milk chocolate; the other in white chocolate and covered with chocolate jimmies. This is my first entry ever in the Iron Cupcake : Earth challenge. This month, the challenge is chocolate with a twist.

You can read more about this challenge by visiting: No One Puts Cupcake in Corner (love the Dirty Dancing reference!) Here's the call for entries....

CHOCOLATE with a TWIST!
The IronCupcake:Earth challenge for December is CHOCOLATE, with a twist! Everyone loves chocolate. But what can you add to yours to make it unique? crazy? amazing?! White, Milk, Dark, whatever wets your whistle, put on your thinking cap and figure out a flavor partner that will knock everyone's socks off. Flavor Pairings are the Key!

All challengers will be competing to win the ETSY Prize-Pack from artists:

* BETTY TURBO
* as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES
* PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

As an added bonus for December we have adorable cupcake pincushions complements of SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY.
Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, JESSIE STEELE APRONS; the CUPCAKE COURIER; TASTE OF HOME books. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-FLOWERS.

For those of you who admire my work, I'd much appreciate it if you took the time to vote for me and my cupcakes. During the 5-days following the baking period (5 days starting December 24), a summary of all cupcakes, their photo, and links to their blog post will be live on No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner. In the right hand column of the page there will be a button to vote for the 5 favorite cupcakes, based on appearance and summary of each recipe.

I'm still trying to find the time to whip up a few more entries for this contest so as Ah-nold says: I'll Be Back!

6 Degrees of Chocolate Celebration

For 16 cupcakes:
4 ozs. unsalted butter/beurre doux, softened
1 cup sugar/sucre en poudre
1 large egg
1 tsp. baking soda/bicarbonate alimentaire
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups flour
1 cup buttermilk /lait fermente
¼ cup hot water
3 tbsp. cocoa powder/chocolat en poudre
2 ozs. white chocolate/chocolat blanc, melted
2 ozs. dark chocolate/chocolat noir, melted

For the chocolate glaze:
½ -1 cup icing sugar/sucre glace
2 ozs. dark chocolate/chocolat noir, melted
3-5 tbsp. water

For the chocolate buttercream :
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. cocoa/chocolat en poudre
1/4 c. plus 3 tbsp. warm milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (16 oz.) pkg. powdered sugar, sifted

• Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C. Grease or place cupcake liners into cupcake tins.
• To make cupcakes, cream together sugar and butter until smooth. Add egg, vanilla, baking soda, salt and mix until well-combined. Alternate adding flour and buttermilk in 3 batches, mix well until smooth. Add hot water last and mix to combine. Divide batter into 3 bowls. Into one bowl, add the cocoa powder and mix to combine. Into one bowl, add melted white chocolate and mix to combine. Into last bowl, add dark chocolate and mix to combine.

• Starting with the white chocolate mixture, fill tins one-third full. Do the same with cocoa powder mixture. Finish with dark chocolate mixture so that each cupcake has 3 layers.
• Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from tin and let cool on wire rack.
• At the same time, mix all ingredients for the chocolate glaze adding sugar and water bit by bit until the consistency resembles a thick chocolate syrup. Drizzle over cupcakes once they have cooled.

• To make buttercream, mash together softened butter and cocoa until well-combined. Add in vanilla and mix. Add the sugar and milk in batches until the consistency is not too liquidy but just thick enough to hold its shape or make peaks.
• Frost cupcakes once the glaze has hardened. Add milk chocolate or white chocolate jimmies, chocolate dragées or any other chocolate goodies that tickle your fancy. For these, I made white chocolate hearts in molds and drizzled semi-sweet chocolate shaped as hearts. Enjoy!