Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes With Mascarpone Icing Recipes

Steps:

• Place cocoa and chocolate in a small bowl; whisk in boiling water until chocolate is melted and mixture is blended., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with wine and chocolate mixture beating well after each addition. Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full., Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a small bowl, beat mascarpone cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Frost cupcakes. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Line 2 muffin pans with muffin cups or coat with nonstick spray.
• In a medium, heatproof bowl, combine cocoa powder with chocolate pieces. Whisk in the boiling water until chocolate is melted and mixture is combined.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar together. Beat in the eggs one at a time, until fully blended. Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix until just combined.
• Alternating, add the chocolate mixture and wine in batches, mixing well between each addition. Repeat this until batter is smooth. Divide mixture among muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 of the way full.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan.
• Lightly beat the mascarpone, then add the confectioners' sugar and beat until creamy. Remove the cooled cupcakes from the pan, spread each with icing, and top with a grape half, if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.
• For the cupcakes: Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until hot, but not boiling, and pour the milk over the cocoa powder in a large bowl. Whisk the mixture until it is smooth and cools slightly. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla and egg to the milk mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the flour mixture, and stir, with a rubber spatula, until well combined (take care not to overmix).
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake until the tops spring back when pressed lightly, 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to the rack to cool a bit more, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the wine syrup: Bring the wine and sugar to a boil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Reduce the wine to 1/2 cup, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the wine syrup to a small bowl.
• While the cupcakes are still slightly warm, poke the top of each 2 times with a fork and slowly drizzle in a generous teaspoon of the wine syrup. Set aside the remaining wine syrup.
• For the ganache: Pour the cream into the saucepan used for the wine syrup and bring it to a simmer. Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the cream over it and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining wine syrup and stir until combined. Let the ganache cool until thickened slightly and the consistency of heavy cream, about 3 minutes.
• Spoon a tablespoon of ganache on each cupcake and use the back of the spoon to spread it evenly. Place the cupcakes on a rack and allow the ganache to set, about 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease jumbo muffin cups (3 1/2 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep) with butter or cooking spray, and lightly flour them, knocking out the excess flour, or line them with baking papers.
• In a small bowl, stir the food coloring and cocoa powder together to make a smooth paste. Set aside. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, then add the cocoa paste while continuing to beat. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter for about 4 minutes. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk (this can be done in the measuring cup). Add the flour mixture in 3 increments alternately with the buttermilk in 2 increments, starting and ending with the flour. Beat on medium speed just until the ingredients are combined. Add the sour cream and vinegar and beat on low speed until combined.
• Fill the muffin cups three-fourths full with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, just until the cupcakes feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake, or the cupcakes will dry out. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then unmold onto a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
• To make the icing: In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the mascarpone on very low speed until just combined. (Be careful; once you've added the mascarpone, excessive beating can make the frosting curdle.) Stir in the vanilla or mint extract.
• Frost the top of each muffin with the icing. Sprinkle the crushed peppermint candy, if using, evenly on the cupcakes.