It’s summer and I’m sure the most of you are thinking chocolate is just too damn thick for this heat. Yes, I feel ya, that’s why I made it a chocolate and Biscoff cupcake with booze. The chocolate cupcake has Kahlua in it and the marbled fluff you see is a Biscoff frosting marbled with chocolate ganache. Then of course you know me and my heavy hand, I had to drizzle it with chocolate ganache and step it up another notch with some Skor shards and crumbles for added texture.
I should tell you, I’ve actually never had Biscoff until this weekend. Biscoff is like the new Nutella, at least it is in the blog world-or so it seems to me. Could I reduce that statement anymore? But it seems like everywhere I look there is a blog featuring a Biscoff dessert recipe.
So why am I just hopping on the bus? Well bloggers have a way of influencing us consumers, especially if the blogger is also a good friend of yours. In this case, Julie of this lovely blog, insisted that I give it a try. I relented. I love it. And now I made something with it, or more accurately – a few. Julie and I are doing a Biscoff week, so don’t forget to hop over to her blog to see her crazy good creation and check back with us later in the week for more Biscoff madness.
Biscoff and Kahlua Crunch Cupcake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcake
- 1 cup (4.5 ounces) all purpose flour
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7.3 ounces) sugar
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) SCHARFFEN BERGER Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon instant coffee granules (recommended: Starbucks Via)
- 1/2 cup Kahlua
Biscoff Frosting
- 5 large egg whites
- 11/2 cup sugar
- 4 sticks unsalted butter, diced and softened
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup of Biscoff spread
Chocolate pouring sauce
- 2/3 cups dark chocolate
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
- 4-5 tablespoons water, warm
Instructions
Preparation
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make cupcake
Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. Add in the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute. Add the instant coffee granules and half of the Kahlua into the mixture and beat for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add remaining Kahlua. Beat for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin enough to pour. Divide it evenly among the lined cups. Bake 18-22 minutes just until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cool.
TIP: For light tender cupcakes, spoon flour and cocoa lightly into measuring cups (instead of dipping the cups into the flour or cocoa) and then sweep the measures level without tapping or shaking them.
To make chocolate pouring sauce
Place chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl over simmering water. Let chocolate and cream sit for 2-3 minutes to melt without stirring. Then slowly stir mixture to combine. Add powdered sugar and mix to combine. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until pouring consistency is reached. Remove 5 tablespoons and place reserve in a separate bowl. Set aside all chocolate pouring sauce to cool until warm.
To make frosting
- Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl placed over simmering water. Bring mixture to 160 degrees F while whisking constantly.
- Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium high speed (speed 8 on a KitchenAid stand mixer)until mixture cools and doubles in volume and forms stiff peaks; about 10-12 minutes.
- Add butter in one piece at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition. The mixture may appear clumpy and almost curdled looking-this is normal. Keep mixing and it will become even and smooth again. Add salt and vanilla and mix to combine. Add in Biscoff and mix until well combined. Add reserved chocolate pouring sauce into frosting. Using a spatula gently fold it into the frosting, DO NOT over mix so that chocolate streaks remain.
Assembly
- Cut Skor or Heath bars into shard shapes; set aside. Finely chop any left over crumbs.
- Fill pastry bag with a round tip. Hold pastry bag at 90 degrees above the cupcake and starting from the perimeter pipe inward and upward.
- Using a spoon drizzle chocolate on top of frosting. Sprinkle Skor crumbs on chocolate. Insert Skor shards into top of frosting.
Notes
A few notes:
- Biscoff spread can be found at either Target, World Market or Amazon.
- The frosting I used is my Swiss Meringue buttercream since it is lighter in texture than American buttercream. For a step-by-step tutorial on how to make Swiss Meringue buttercream click here.
- For the shards, I used Skor candy bars, but Heath candy bars will work just as well or skip it all together if candy in desserts is not your thing.
- As always, I highly recommend Scharffen Berger’s Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder. It’s the best on the market and will make a huge difference in your baking results in terms of flavor.
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