Dark Chocolate Filled Angel Food Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners, and lightly coat with cooking spray.
• Sift the flour, confectioners' sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt through a fine sieve into a medium bowl; set aside.
• Combine the egg whites in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy, about 2 minutes. Add the cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the granulated sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed to medium-high, and continue beating until the peaks are stiff and very shiny, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and lemon zest. Remove the bowl from the stand.
• Sprinkle 1/4 of the flour mixture on top of the eggs, and gently fold in with a rubber spatula. Evenly fold in the remaining flour mixture in 3 additions.
• Divide the batter evenly among the lined muffin cups in messy mounds taller than the liners, and bake until the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• For the halo decorations: Cut 12 sticks 1 inch long and about 1/8 inch thick out of the crystallized ginger. Trim the ends so they are straight across.
• Trace 12 circles on a piece of parchment with a 1-inch round cookie cutter. Turn the paper over; set aside. Fit one of the pastry bags with the tip.
• Microwave the candy coating in a small bowl, uncovered, at 40 percent power in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted and completely smooth. Transfer the candy coating to the pastry bag, and pipe it into 12 circles, using the parchment template as a guide. Set aside to let harden slightly. Pipe 1 small dollop of the candy coating directly onto each circle, and push a ginger stick into each so it is standing straight up. Let the halos harden completely.
• For the frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a stand mixer's heatproof bowl above the water (or a large heatproof bowl if using a handheld mixer). Whisk the egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar and a pinch of salt together in the bowl; set the bowl above the boiling water and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat the egg white mixture with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until it is cool and forms stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.
• Decorate the cupcakes: Transfer the frosting to the remaining pastry bag, and pipe generous swirls on top of each cupcake, lifting the bag up quickly to make a peak. Push the ginger stem of a halo into each, and serve right away.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• In small saucepan, stir cocoa and 1/3 cup water over low heat about 1 minute until mixture thickens and just begins to boil.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
• In large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks from when beaters are lifted.
• Add sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating well after each addition until stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted.
• Quickly add cocoa mixture and beat 20 seconds until just blended.
• In a small bowl, combine flour and baking powder.
• Fold into egg white mixture, one fourth at a time.
• Spray 12 regular muffin cups with vegetable cooking spray.
• Divide batter evenly between muffin cups.
• Bake 10-15 minutes until cupcakes begin to pull away from sides of pan.
• Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Run a knife around edge of cupcakes to loosen.
• Remove cupcakes and cool on wire rack.
• Invert onto serving plate.
• Garnish each with a little whipped cream and a strawberry, if desired.

Steps:

• Make the cake mis as directed on the package for cupcakes. Using cupcake foil is easy clean up. bake according to package directions and let cool.
• In a food processor combine the mascarpone cheese, raspberries, 1/4 sugar, and lemon juice. Process the mixture till smooth. Transfer the raspberry mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a small tip. Push the tip gently into the top of the cupcake, and squeeze in the mixture till the cupcake plumps. Continue with all cup cakes.
• In a small saucepan bring 1/2 cup sugar, water, and vanilla extract to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved. In a medium bowl combine the vanilla syrup with the confectioner's sugar. Stir until smooth. Working quickly, dip the top of the cupcake into the icing, lightly shaking off additional icing, and allow to set.