Cupcake Hero

It’s Cupcake Hero time! The lovely Laurie of Quirky Cupcake is holding her monthly mingle titled ...Cupcake Hero. Every month she chooses an ingredient and those of us who are brave bake a cupcake around the chosen ingredient. This month's ingredient was liquor. I was so excited about this month’s theme. Mostly due to the hundreds of possibilities.

However, I finally decided on a chocolate raspberry cupcake. I used Chambord, which is a raspberry liquor. If you have never tried Chambord, then shame on you! This stuff makes amazing drinks/cocktails. I don’t even think it has a high alcohol proof. Any who, get some Chambord and bake chocolate raspberry cupcakes or any of the lovely recipes on their site.

The cake part of the cupcake does not retain much of the raspberry alcohol taste, but the aroma of raspberries remains. That’s because Chambord has a strong raspberry scent. To the buttercream, I added raspberry extract, which made the icing incredible.

The cupcakes were so scrumptious and smelled heavenly. They smelled so good that I was thinking this should be a car air freshener. You know, one of those of little trees you hang from the rear view mirror. If you find yourself in the mood for delicious cupcakes and in need of an air freshener for your car, then look no further. (Tee-hee)

If you’d like to participate in Cupcake Hero then click here. The entries are due February 23 and the round up will be here. I’ll see you there.

For the cupcakes:
6 tablespoons of flour
5 tablespoons of Dutch cocoa
6 tablespoons of sugar
½ teaspoon of baking soda (heaping)
¼ teaspoon of baking powder (heaping)
¼ teaspoon of salt
1 large egg
5 tablespoons of milk
2 ½ tablespoons of oil
½ teaspoon of vanilla
5 tablespoon of Chambord (raspberry liquor)

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and line a muffin tin with 6 liners. Sift the dry ingredients (this includes the sugar, I know technically considered a wet ingredient) into the bowl of an electric mixer. Place all the wet ingredients into a 2-cup measuring cup and whisk until smooth. With the mixer on low, slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry.

Divide the batter among the liners and bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool, then remove the cupcakes and cool completely on a wire rack.

Raspberry-Chocolate Meringue
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s “Baking Handbook”
2 large egg whites
½ cup of sugar
¾ cup of butter at room temperature
½ teaspoon of raspberry extract
4 ounces of melted bittersweet chocolate, cooled

In the bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water, combine the eggs and the sugar. Cook whisking constantly until the eggs reach a 160F degrees on a candy thermometer.

Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg white mixture on high speed until stiff peaks (not-dry) form. Continue beating until fluffy and cool about 6 minutes.

Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium-low speed add the butter a couple tablespoons at a time. When all the butter has been added, beat on high speed for 3-5 minutes until smooth. On low speed add the raspberry extract and beat 2 minutes to eliminate any air bubbles. To the buttercream add the 4 ounces of melted chocolate and beat until incorporated.