Miniaturizing Another Favorite

I don't know if you are aware of this dear reader, but there was a time I was vehemently opposed to the popularity of the cupcake concept.  I really don't know why.  I spent most of my time resisting jumping the bandwagon, thinking cupcakes were a passing fad that wouldn't last. Now here we are a few years later, with the cupcake alive and well and gaining even more popularity. Every once in a while now I feel a twinge of regret of what could have been.  Had I relented sooner, I could have begun turning my repertoire of cakes into cupcakes months and months ago.  Now that I am as cupcake crazy as the next person, I am thoroughly enjoying myself with my experiment in miniaturization.  I have some very willing co-workers, who are more than happy to partake of the results of my attempts.

A few months ago, a co-worker who was celebrating his birthday sent me a recipe for a German Chocolate Frosting.  No recipe for any kind of cake, mind you, just a recipe for frosting.  I guess that was his way of hinting what he wanted me to bake for our monthly birthday celebration.  Never having made  a German Chocolate Cake before, this was a double challenge for me.  My first-ever attempt at this cake and at the same time shrinking it down.  It was time to read up about this cake as I could so I could meet the challenge armed with as much knowledge as possible.  I learned that German Chocolate Cake had nothing to do with the country of Germany.  Go figure!  Rather, the recipe was one owned by a family with the last name German.  It was originally known as German's Chocolate Cake.  The apostrophe and the "s" were dropped somewhere along the way.  Be that as it may, this cake is simply delicious!  I fell in love with the complex symphony of flavors and textures the first time I ate it.  Rich, moist chocolate cake, crowned with sweet flaked coconut and crunchy pecans held together by a caramel flavored custard-like frosting.  Divine!

For my base recipe, I went with Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake.  I used two standard cupcake pans instead of the 9 inch round pans suggested in the recipe.  For the topping I used the German Chocolate Cake Frosting sent by my co-worker, but made a few slight modifications.  The Coconut Pecan Frosting recipe I have posted below makes enough to generously frost 24 cupcakes, because the last thing you want is to run short.  Despite all its gooey goodness, I will admit that the cupcake version could use a little help in the looks department.  The next time I will pipe a chocolate frosting around the edge, much like its regular-sized counterpart.  Hopefully this will lend to the cupcakes' aesthetic appeal.  But as my nephew would say, "This cupcake may look horrible but tastes fabulous".  That's what his comment on the Red Velvet Cupcakes I made and took over to him.  Yes, Nicholas believes in telling it like it is.

So here you have it, German Chocolate Cupcakes.  If you do happen to make them, any feedback will be greatly appreciated.  Enjoy!

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

CUPCAKES

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup Dutch Processed Cocoa

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

• Line two standard cupcake pans with paper cups.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a large mixing bowl and using a wire whisk, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla and mix well on medium speed using a hand-held mixer.
• When combined, slowly add boiling water and stir thoroughly.  Batter will be thin.
• Using a standard ice cream scoop, fill each cupcake cavity with batter.
• Bake cupcakes about 10 minutes, then turn the pans around to ensure that cupcakes bake evenly.
• Bake cupcakes for another 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes come out clean.
• Remove cupcake pans from oven and cool for 10 minutes.
• Remove cupcakes from pans and cool on a wire rack for 2-3 hours before frosting.

COCONUT-PECAN FROSTING

1 large and 1 small can evaporated milk

1-1/2 cups white sugar

5 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups chopped pecans

1-1/2 cup flaked coconut

In a large saucepan combine evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, margarine and vanilla.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick.
Remove from heat and stir in pecans and coconut.
Spread on cupcakes while frosting is still warm.
If frosting cools, warm it up over a saucepan of simmering water.
Top each cupcake with a pecan half.
If piping edges of cupcakes with chocolate frosting, wait for coconut-pecan frosting to cool before doing so.