Chocolate Cupcakes with lace butterflies topping

I didn't think I can actually pull off this feat, but I am never the one to back down from a challenge.  And so, I cruise along until I got to the end of the road...after a gruelling night of piping galore. Lol! On one hand, baking these cupcakes is like learning your ABCs, its very easy. On the other hand, making the lace butterflies, the most challenging part, is like learning your multiplication table, its never easy at first but once you get the hang of it, you'll knock everyone's socks off. 

I brought these cupcakes to Jinky and Glen's baby girl, Lynette, christening. Just seeing the little one's bedimpled smile and watching her dazzling her guests with her change of outfits during the party are worth learning my multiplication table...again! :))

Chocolate cupcakes

Makes 36

Ingredients:

430g plan flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

250ml hot water

100g cocoa

250ml cold water

250g unsalted butter, softened

560g caster sugar

4 eggs

4 teaspoons vanilla essence

Preheat the over to 170C. Line three 12-hole muffin trays with cupcake papers.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl whisk together the hot water and cocoa until you have a smooth paste. Add the cold water and whisk until evenly combined.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. Add the caster sugar and two of the eggs. Beat until light. Add the last two eggs one at a time, beating until well combined, then stir in the vanilla essence. Add half of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add half of the cocoa mixture and beat until combined. Repeat this process but do not over-beat as this will thoughen the mixture.

Divide the mixture between the cupcake papers. They should be about half full as this mixture rises substantially. Bake for 25 minutes or until springy when pressed in the centre.

Cool cupcakes in the muffin tray for 5 minutes before removing the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Assembly:

Lace Butterflies 

Ingredients:

royal icing

edible glitter (dont sweat on this if you cant find any, I didn't put any on my cupcakes)

butterfly template (trace some butterflies on a sheet of baking paper)

baking paper

tinfoil

Trace the template onto baking paper and place a clean piece of baking paper over the traced design and secure together with tape. Have several pieces of baking paper ready to place over the template as you mass-produce the butterflies with royal icing.

Make a paper piping bag, I used zip lock instead (makes life easier) and snip one edge off so the hole is about 1mm in diameter.

Pipe a thin line of icing over the design, making sure to join the filigree to the sides of the butterfly wings for support. Sprikle the butterfly wings with edible glitter while wet and allow to dry overnight.

Make a support for the butterflies by bending a doubled sheet of foil into a U shape with a flat bottom. Cut a strip of baking paper 1cm wide to line the base of the U.

Pipe a small dot of icing for the head of the butterfly and join a 1cm long body-shaped line to this. Place a left and right wing into the icing, making sure the wings form a V-shape and are inserted well into the icing. Allow to dry overnight.

Peel off the paper  and use to decorate your cakes

Chocolate Ganache -

Dark Chocolate ganache

400g dark chocolate

375ml cream

White Chocolate Ganache

600g white chocolate

250ml cream

Melt the chocolate and cream together over a saucepan of gently simmering water or in the microwave on low power. Stir to combine and set aside to cool before use.

Royal Icing -

1 egg white

300g icing sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Beat the egg white in a small bowl with electric beaters until foamy. Gradually add the sugar a spoonful at a time, beating well after each addition. The icing is ready when peaks appear and hold their shape. Beat in the lemon juice.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap until required.

Using a fine nozzle, pipe the royal icing onto the silicon paper, if you don't have silicon paper, use foil instead, to make the butterflies. The icing will harden when dry and can be easily lifted off the silicon paper.