"B-Cup" Cakes - Take a Bite Out of Breast Cancer
I'm not known for my optimism but, lately, I feel like I'm wearing rose-colored glasses all the time. Before you get too excited about me adopting a sunnier outlook on life, I should explain that the rosey hue I've been seeing is actually an optical effect caused by the thousands of pink ribbons that have recently sprouted up everywhere I go, like toadstools after a rainstorm. In case you had not noticed already, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Although I made the batter chocolate (since I would not waste my time eating any other kind of cupcake), I made three kinds of buttercream icing to represent a diversity of boobies. I figured that since breast cancer does not discriminate, neither should I. The basic skin tones were easy - chocolate for our darker sisters, espresso for our coffee-colored sisters, and vanilla bean for all us pasty white sisters. The subtler colors for the aureolas were a bit more challenging but I managed to create them by mixing the three flavors of icing.
Of course, we know that beauty is only skin-deep, but the "B-Cup" Cakes had good looks and good taste!
I hope you'll join me in taking a bite out of breast cancer this month. Here are two easy ways:
- Make an online donation to the Komen Foundation
- Visit http://www.actnowendbreastcancer.org/ and join their email list
Or, if you'd like to bake a batch of your own "B-Cup" Cakes, I would recommend Cooks Illustrated's dark chocolate cupcake recipe (see below.)
Just one final note. I believe in giving credit where it's due so I'd like to give a shout-out to Adam Roberts, The Amateur Gourmet, whose brilliant Janet Jackson Breast Cupcake was my primary inspiration for the "B-Cup" Cakes.
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Yields 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Just one final note. I believe in giving credit where it's due so I'd like to give a shout-out to Adam Roberts, The Amateur Gourmet, whose brilliant Janet Jackson Breast Cupcake was my primary inspiration for the "B-Cup" Cakes.
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Yields 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
- 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Directions
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position;heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-sized muffin pan (cups have 1/2 cup capacity) with baking cup liners.
2. Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and fully combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.
3. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.
4. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogeneous and thick.
5. Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean.
6. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes. (To frost: Mound about 2 tablespoons icing on center of each cupcake. Using icing spatula or butter knife, spread icing to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.)
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position;heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-sized muffin pan (cups have 1/2 cup capacity) with baking cup liners.
2. Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and fully combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.
3. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.
4. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogeneous and thick.
5. Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean.
6. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes. (To frost: Mound about 2 tablespoons icing on center of each cupcake. Using icing spatula or butter knife, spread icing to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.)
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