Recipe via King Arthur Flour
This past weekend was not only Mother’s Day, but the Kentucky Derby. I intend to go one of these days, but for now I still know nothing about horses and horse racing save for the fancy headwear and gambling. Seabiscuit. There – I even name dropped. What was the one from last year… Pharoah? Something like that? (American Pharoah – thanks google)
King Arthur Flour is my favorite (and I am not a sponsor, thank you). The content they put out is awesome, their magazine Sift is a beautiful piece of art that I treasure both as a baker and a graphic designer. They’re local grown and employee owned, and I wished I lived nearer to their HQ so I could work for them. I want to work for everyone I love.
Pecans, by the way, are a really unattractive nut. They’re pretty good tasting, don’t get me wrong, but have you ever just looked at a plain pecan? They look super suggestive. Veiny with some addendums in between other nut parts. And nuts are described as meaty sometimes, that description only enforces this concept. I had to cut one out for a project at work and I felt like anyone walking by my computer was going to judge the crap out of me. Getting up close and personal with food is a hobbie of mine that I can even pursue at work. How lucky!
That is a hell of a cupcake. Tasty too.
<3 Rhi
Chocolate Pecan Derby Cupcakes
By Published: May 11, 2016
- Yield: 28 Cupcakes (28 Servings)
- Cook: 20-24 mins
Filling or topping - your choice, both delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup unsalted butter for the frosting // room temp
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 cups confectioner's sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 tbsp milk add as needed
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar for the topping // packed
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and snag two cupcake pans. (I made 2 extra large cupcakes at the end with my leftover batter, but you can do what you want)
- In a large bowl (adding wet to dry), whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, combine the oil, eggs, vanilla, vinegar, and water.
- Create a well in the flour mixture and pour the wet mixture into the center. Slowly whisk the wet into the dry until its fully mixed in
- Scoop batter into cupcake cups 2/3 of the way full and bake for 20-24 minutes (22 worked for me). Cool before frosting!
- For Frosting: Mix the butter and salt together until smooth & fluffy
- Add confectioner's sugar one cup at a time, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl. I added a little milk by cup #3 because mine became too thick to mix.
- Frost cupcakes, leaving a little dip in the center for the topping to go in & make sure these are chilled so your topping doesn't melt away your frosting. Alternatively, core your cupcakes and leave the frosting for last, putting the topping in as a filling.
- For Topping: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the brown sugar, butter, cream, and salt. Watch for 3-5 minutes, waiting for the mixture to thicken under the bubbles.
- Once thickened, remove from heat and add pecans & vanilla.
- Spoon topping into frosting wells or cored cupcakes & eat them ALL.
