Chocolate Cupcake Experiment 1

I've decided one of my life goals is to make a delicious, white sugar free chocolate cupcake. This happened about two weeks ago when I made some cupcakes with Josh, and they were delicious. And they were gluten free. Not only were they gluten free and delicious when they came straight out of the oven, they were just as good the day after. Then I went to one of my favorite restuarants, known for their desserts, and spent 3.75 on a chocolate cupcake. I had a bite, and I thought to myself that the frosting was amazing, but that I felt I had made something a week before that was very similar to this fancy cupcake.

And *Poof*! The idea was born. Why should I let the bakeries have all the fun? Why can't I make a really, really, really good cupcake at home? Why can't I make a gluten free cupcake that tastes good, and doesn't have white sugar? (I'll post maybe some health related links on sucrose and fructose, maybe...) So, here are the results from experiment numero uno!

This Recipe is adapted from the cookbook Chocolate Cakes by Elinor Klivans. 

1 CUP Gluten Free Pantry All-Purpose Flour (This is a good one so far)
1/4 CUP UNSWEETENED Hersey's Special Dark DUTCH-PROCESS COCOA POWDER
1/2 TSP BAKING SODA
1/8 TSP SALT
1/4 CUP SALTED BUTTER (ROOM TEMP) *Salted is just what we had, oh well*
1/2 CUP CORN SYRUP
2 TBSP XYLITOL
2 TBSP Honey
2 LARGE EGGS
1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT (ESSENCE)
1 CUP BUTTERMILK

1 CUP CHOCOLATE CHIPS
2 CUPS GANACHE, COOLED TO SPREADING CONSISTANCY

Preheat oven to 350.
1. Cream butter for a minute. Add Xylitol, cream.
2. Add corn syrup, and honey until smooth.
3. Add eggs one at a time, blend until smooth.
4. Add vanilla, blendn until smooth.
5. Put dry ingredients in a sifter.
6. Alternately add buttermilk and dry indredients. Start and end with buttermilk.
7. Add chocolate chips, stir in.
8. Pour into muffin pans, pour until each cup is 3/4 full.
9. Backe for 20-25 minutes based upon your oven. Cupcakes are done when insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.

They look really good, don't they? Lies! Well, they were really good when they first came out.

I know what you're thinking, "Corn syrup?! That's not healthy!" Well, unless I'm mistaken, and I could be, Corn Syrup or Glucose Syrup is different than High Fructose Corn syrup. High Fructose Corn Syrup is the dangerous one, and it shares some similarities with white sugar. Regular Corn Syrup is very low on Fructose, and actually not all that sweet.

Now for the ganache, which I royally blundered:

2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1 TBSP butter
A whole bunch of chopped chocolate
1 TSP vanilla

I don't know what I did wrong, but doesn't it look pretty? Lies!

You're supposed to slowly heat the cream with the butter, so that it doesn't form a skin, but that it melts the butter. Once it reaches about 175, and has tiny bubbles, you're supposed to take it off the oven, let it cool for half a minute, and then pour in the chocolate chips, and whisk it all together. Then whisk in the vanilla. Then let it to set for a half hour, and then frost the cupcakes.

I don't know what I did wrong, I only know that something seperated. So if it looks grainy in the pictures, that's probably because that's the seperation. I think we even tried to add cornstarch to fix what we had done, maybe that did it?

Special Note: I have been baking with Jacque Torres 60% chocolate, and it is very good chocolate. Pricey, but it's good. I'll post our chocolate contest later.

The verdict: It tasted great out of the oven.
Two days later: The frosting is chocolatey, the cupcake is a little dry, and it's time to go back to the drawing board.

A Song lyric comes to mind about the frosting, "Gotta Keep Em' Seperated"

Next experiment: Sour cream?