4th of July Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry and Ricotta Frosting, Bella Cupcake Couture Party with Giveaway



Chocolate Cupcakes (makes 12 standard cupcakes)

4tbl(60gram) butter, unsalted
1/4cup(60ml) oil
1/2 cup (120ml)strong coffee
1tbl rum(optional)
1cup(140grams) all purpose flour
1cup (200gams) granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2tbl(40grams) cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup(60ml) buttermilk
1tsp vanilla extract

Lemon Ricotta Frosting
2cups(380grams) ricotta or farmer’s cheese
1cup(100grams) powdered sugar plus more if needed, depends on how sweet you want the frosting
zest and lemon juice from one lemon
1 1/2 cup(360ml) heavy cream or whipping cream
2 1/2 tsp unflavored granulated gelatin
3tbl cold water
1tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Filling
Strawberries, chopped and few sliced for the garnish

Make Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with liners. I used liners from Bake it Pretty.
• In a small sauce pan, heat butter, oil, coffee and rum(is using), just until butter melts, stir the mixture well to combine. Let the mixture cool slightly.
• Into a bowl of your mixer sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and pinch of salt.
• Pour the butter mixture over flour and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. About 2 minutes
• Then add egg and beat until combined 30 seconds to minute.
• Then add buttermilk and vanilla extract. Scrape the bowl and beat until smooth. About 1 minute.
• Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan.
• Bake for about 18-20 minutes, depends on your oven. Toothpick inserted into the cupcake has to come out clean.
• Let the cupcakes cool  in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer cupcakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Lemon Ricotta Frosting

• Beat room temperature cheese with powdered sugar, add lemon zest and lemon juice. If you prefer a really creamy texture I’d recommend that you process cheese in the food processor until smooth.
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small dish. Let bloom for 5 minutes. Then take bloomed gelatin and heat it on high for 5 second in the microwave. You may need to heat it one more time for 3 seconds or so. Don’t over heat or gelatin. Once gelatin is completely dissolved it may be still little too warm. I usually do cold tap water bath and stir the gelatin until it cools down a bit.
• Get room temperature whipping cream or heavy cream, beat until soft peaks are formed, then gradually add dissolved and cooled gelatin, beat on high until firm peaks are formed. Add vanilla extract and beat for few more moments.
• Fold stabilized whipping cream into the cheese mixture.
• Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Frost cupcake as desired.

• Color some of the frosting with Royal Blue color, leave remaining frosting white.
• Fit the piping bag with a large round Wilton 1A tip.
• Spread some of the white frosting onto the inner wall of the piping bag. Fill the bag with blue frosting.
• Core the cupcakes using a paring knife( here is a video on how to do that , fast forward to at  4:10)
• Fill cupcakes with some frosting and then stuff them with chopped strawberries.
• Take the piping bag filled with frosting and pipe a swirl on the top.
• Sprinkle with gold edible start sprinkles.
• Decorate with strawberry slices.
• Refrigerate for up to 3 hours, until frosting is set.

4th of July Chocolate Cupcakes Video Tutorial

Check out more 4th of July Cupcake fun below.

To enter to WIN this Prize Pack, simply fill out the entry form below.

Contest opens 25June13 at 0700 PST and closes July 1st, 2013 at 23 59 PST. One winner will be chosen and announced within 48 hours of the contest ending. Winner will be contacted via email by betsy@javacupcake.com and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. If they do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

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