Alpha Bakers: Coconut Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Ganache

"I don't like cupcakes."

That is what my friend told me when I mentioned it was the last thing I baked.

"They are basically cakes, just in cupcake form," is what I told her. I know this because I used to make all kinds of cakes into cupcakes form when I was baking through Rose's Heavenly Cakes.

"Yeah, but I don't like them. They are individually sized, with frosting on top and stuff," is the response I get.

Well no matter. I didn't make these for her. My other friends whom I shared them with thought they were yummy.

On a side note, I don't know what's wrong with things being individually sized with frosting. Isn't it the same with having a 9 inch cake sliced? Each cake slice is individually sized with frosting? The only difference with cupcakes is you have to buy the wrapper - which means spending some money on said wrapper. And if you want to be really precise, as Rose is, and as I try to be, you have to spend some time to weigh each cupcake individually so they are all even (which is my least favorite part of making cupcakes by the way). But it's not a big complain since I find cupcakes very cute so their cuteness way surpass my feeling against weighing each one individually.

End rant.

This cupcake came together pretty easily. There's not much to tell except I was glad to be making cakes since it's been a while. I'm not a big fan of coconut in sweets. Coconut water is good, fresh coconut is even better. But cakes with coconut, I usually would pass. And I was even more apprehensive seeing this is paired with milk chocolate. Not a big fan of them either. I like dark. Yes, this is me, Jenn, knitty baker, being picky. But as it happens, these surprised me. Or I shall say, Rose surprised me with them. They are good! I baked the whole recipe since I plan to share it with several folks and I ended up eating 4 of them and still have 3 in the freezer. I was going to keep them but I might have to give them away. They are just too tempting!

If you are wondering why there's a candle in the cupcake pictures. It's not my birthday. This past week, in fact, is birthday week for my dad and several friends. Unfortunately, none of them lived nearby so I  celebrate their birthday virtually.

Step by step photos:

Mise-en-place. Flour, leavening, butter at room temperature, egg whites, coconut milk, and vanilla mixture. I have about 10 egg whites in the freezer so I was happy that we are using it now.

Place the flour mixture in the mixer bowl. Add butter and the remaining coconut milk.

Mixer in action.

Looks a bit like buttercream to me.

Scrape down the sides. Then add the egg mixture in two parts.

Pretty batter.

I weighed each cupcake with the recommended weight as per Rose. Then I let them sit for 20 minutes. I don't have a second cupcake pan so the remaining batter for 4 more cupcakes sit and wait on the counter while these were baking.

15 full size and 1 almost full size cupcakes. There's only 15 here - one of them errr didn't make it the picture.

Chopped bittersweet chocolate (Ghrirardelli bittersweet chocolate chip) and white chocolate (Green & Black white chocolate with cocoa butter).

I add the heavy cream to the chocolate and heat them up using the double boiler method.

Then strain the mixture.

After straining.

Ready for decorating later after the ganache has set.

Though I generously lathered each cupcake with ganache, I still ended up with 3/4 cup of ganache left. They went to the freezer for future use.

Alpha Bakers is a group of bakers who are baking through The Baking Bible, Rose Levy Beranbaum's latest cookbook. Come check out the rest of the group at Rose's Alpha Bakers.