Cherry Brandy Cupcakes

I'm back!

I had the honor to attend a wedding in New South Wales over the weekend. Wedding receptions were held in Kogarah and Castle Hill so we did plenty of traveling. The wedding ceremony was so touching that I couldn't help tearing... I did not believe there was a dry eye in the chapel. It was also my first time meeting Mr Ar's first cousins so that was pretty exciting and nerve-wrecking too!

Sydney itself was terrific and we did lots of walking and eating. Once I organized the pictures, I will be sure to post them up here.

In the meantime, enjoy these little cupcakes that I made before I left. Ok, correction, I made these few weeks before I left. Nevertheless, these little goodies are waiting to be posted here. =)

I'm not sure how I thought of these but it came to me that a cherry brandy theme cupcake may be worthwhile experimenting. Perhaps it's my love for blackforest cakes, hence my inspiration was drawn from it. I'm sure there are tons of similar recipes out there but this time round, I played around with these ingredients to get the right texture.

The result was a dark rich cupcake with brandy soaked cherries in the middle. I think I could have added a few more cherries in the center to give that extra ophm. Thankfully I did receive positive feedback from neighbors and friends and so my confidence for making cupcakes went up a small notch; just enough for me to consider baking other types of cupcakes.


Cherry Brandy Cupcakes
12 little goodies

Rich Chocolate Cupcakes
100grams of choc buttons (at least 61% cocoa content)
1/4 cup of butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup of self-raising flour
3 eggs
2-3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
pinch of salt
add choc bits for abit more crunch

Preheat oven 180 degrees C.
1) Melt choc and butter over water bath (or zap it in the microwave-just be careful!)
2) Add sugar, stir. let mixture cool for about 5-10 mins.
3) Beat it using electric beater for 3 mins
4) add egg one at a time. Beat well.
5) sift in flour, cocoa powder and salt.
6) Mix well.
7) Scoop and fill 1/4 of lined muffin/cupcake trays.
8) Using a teaspoon, scoop in 2-3 cherries soaked in brandy in the middle. Top with chocolate mixture till 3/4 full.
8) Bake for 20-25 mins.
9) Cool and frost with brandy chocolate icing. Top with cherry.

DARK CHOCOLATE BRANDY BUTTER CREAM FROSTING
5 cups of. confectioners' sugar
8 teaspoons of brandy syrup-reserved from marinate!
2 cups of unsweetened cocoa
12 tbsp. butter
3 tsp. vanilla
Combine confectioners' sugar and cocoa in a small bowl. Cream butter with 1/2 cup of the cocoa mixture in a small bowl. Alternately add remaining cocoa mixture and milk; beat to spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla. Frost!

Brandy Cherries
1 can of pitted red cherries
1/2 cup of brandy

1) Drain some of the liquid from can of cherries, reserve about 1/2-3/4 cup.
2) Place cherries, reserved can syrup and brandy in a glass bowl. Marinate overnight. Do not throw the marinate away. Use it in the buttercream.