Recipe of the Week - German Chocolate Cupcakes

Week 50

My friend Jeannie brought German Chocolate cupcakes to a meeting last week and it was all I could do to keep myself from scraping the frosting off all the cupcakes and scarfing it down!  There is just something dee-lish about that frosting.  Since my taste buds were still reeling from that experience I decided to feature German Chocolate cupcakes this week. 

This recipe comes from a tattered page out of my mother's Bell's Best cookbook - published by the Telephone Pioneers of America (Mississippi Chapter No. 36).  Mom is on her second Bell's Best original cookbook (there are several additional volumes).  She got her first one in 1981 and it was used so much it totally disintegrated.

Bell's Best Volume 1

Mississippi Chapter # 36

photo from MarthaStewart.com

Cake Creations by Shelly via Flickr

German Chocolate Cupcakes

2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. sweet German chocolate
1 cup Crisco
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup hot water
4 egg whites - beaten

Cream shortening and add sugar gradually.  Melt chocolate in 1/2 cup hot water (over hot water bath) and allow to cool.  Add egg yolks to creamed mixture - one at a time.  Mix well.  Sift flour and measure.  Mix soda and buttermilk.  Add flour alternatively with buttermilk to the creamed mixture.  Add the chocolate and vanilla then fold in the beaten egg whites. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, checking frequently after 15 minutes.  Frost cupcakes when completely cooled.



German Chocolate Frosting

2 cups + 2 Tbsp. evaporated milk (we call it "canned milk" in the South)
1 stick + 2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar
2 egg yolks + 2 whole eggs
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix milk, butter, sugar and eggs in a saucepan.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly.  Do not leave unattended!  When thick, remove from heat and cool.  Fold in coconut and pecans.

National Chocolate Cupcake Day!

Eat a chocolate cupcake today to celebrate 

National Chocolate Cupcake Day! 

For those of you who read this blog regularly, last week I said I was going to make chocolate cupcakes with blackberry buttercream. However, I could not find any fresh blackberries yesterday, so I had to substitute raspberries...it's all good!   

Thank you Monica for the bottle of Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay. It was the perfect centerpiece.

P.S. My friend Shelly gave me this cake plate

and it matched the raspberry italian

meringue buttercream perfectly.

Recipe of the Week - German Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Pecan Frosting

Week 12

German Chocolate Cupcakes

1 German chocolate cake mix

4 ounces (1 bar) sweet chocolate

1/2 cup water

1 cup buttermilk
1/2 vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your cupcake pan with liners.

Grate the chocolate bar with a microplane and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the cake mix, buttermilk, water, oil, eggs & vanilla until the ingredients are incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in the grated chocolate.

Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 15-18 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and remove from pan. Frost when completely cooled.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 sticks butter

4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups coconut

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups pecan pieces

Place the evaporated milk, sugar, butter and egg yolks in a large pan over medium heat. Cook until thickened and golden brown - about 15 minutes. Stir constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let frosting cool to room temperature and then fold in the coconut and pecans.