Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Cobweb Cupcakes


Halloween is just around the corner! Here’s the perfect treat for the spooky season…hope you’re not afraid of spiders!


Pumpkin Cobweb Cupcakes
Printable Recipe

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
6 ounces (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 2/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
15 ounces pumpkin puree
2/3 cup water
½ cup heavy cream
1 ounce white chocolate, chopped or 2 tablespoons white chocolate chips
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, and salt.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on high for 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly combined. Blend together the pumpkin puree and water in a medium bowl. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then ½ of the pumpkin mixture, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining ½ of the pumpkin mixture, and then the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture, mixing on low for only a few seconds after each addition until just combined, and stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the edges of the cupcakes start to shrink away from the pans and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Invert onto cooling racks and finish cooling completely.

Bring the cream to a bare simmer in a small, heavy saucepan. Place the white chocolate into a small bowl and the semisweet chocolate into a medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the hot cream to the white chocolate and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining hot cream to the semisweet chocolate and whisk until smooth. Let cool until thickened slightly.

Dip the top of a cupcake into the semisweet chocolate ganache and, while still holding it upside down over the bowl, give the cupcake a few abrupt shakes so that any excess ganache drips off. Transfer the white chocolate ganache to a paper cone and pipe a swirl pattern over the semisweet ganache on the cupcake. To complete the web design, draw the tip of a toothpick through the ganache from the center to the edge of the cupcake 8 or 9 times, wiping off the tip of the toothpick between each swipe, in a pattern of evenly spaced radiating lines. Glaze the remaining cupcakes with the remaining ganache in the same manner.


Makes 24 cupcakes. Cupcakes keep for 2 to 3 days in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place. Leftover ganache will keep for a week tightly sealed in the refrigerator. Reheat it gently using the microwave or a double boiler and serve it as a sauce or use it to make hot chocolate or mochas.

10 comments:

A Bowl Of Mush said...

These are super cute!

I really love the way yo've done the cobwebs on top and the powdered sugar cobweb is really stunning!

Ninette said...

Very nice! I'm still working out a red velvet cupcake recipe using cakebox mix, and this is a nice topping for attempt number 2. Thanks. Love your pics too.

Irina said...

These look adorable. You are so creative! And what would not taste great good with the ganache on top.

Pam said...

Your cupcakes are oh so cute!

Nice blog!

veron said...

Fantastic idea for halloween!

Lorena said...

They look totally cute and yummy!

kellypea said...

So fun to make these designs. Have made pumpkin muffins but not cupcakes. Love the idea!

Jessica said...

I love the colors! It definitely captures the halloween spirit!

kamran siddiqi said...

These cupcakes are super creative! They look lovely!

Rebecca said...

Wow, those look amazing! You should send in an entry for our Halloween cupcake contest while you still can!! http://www.partiesthatcook.com/pumpkin-spice-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-buttercream-frosting/

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