The ancient Chinese believed there existed in the universe two complimentary forces known as Yin Yang. This philosophy symbolizes how two entities that seem like polar opposites are, in fact, interconnected and cannot exist one without the other. When Yin and Yang come together, they create a whole that flows back into itself without separation. Every entity has both Yin and Yang elements contained within it and these elements change over time as one side becomes stronger and then gives way to the other. This philosophy about opposites coming together to create a greater whole was not only the perfect description of our friendship but was also an ideal basis for a cupcake!
Yin represents a more introverted and passive personality while Yang is more of an extroverted, active personality. Sweetcheeks has always been the cooler head in our friendship: Talking me down from whichever soapbox I find myself on. And I have always dragged her (sometimes kicking and screaming) into new areas of exploration that she sometimes surprises herself in liking. I’m definitely the more talkative but she has a way of getting inside my head and understanding where I’m coming from without me having to explain myself. We try to be open and honest to one another so that we can see our flaws, even when we really don’t want to, and work on making them better. This complimentary friendship has weathered many storms and has given us both the confidence and security that we need to go out into the world and be ourselves. We don’t always see eye to eye or even like the same things so we agree to disagree on the fluff and enjoy the things we both love: Baking =)
Chocolate and vanilla are forever polar opposites and the best of friends. Who doesn’t like a chocolate cupcake with vanilla icing? There will always be passionate discussions on which is the best (it’s a unanimous CHOCOLATE from the both of us), but these two flavors combine to really make your taste buds dance. With this in mind, we set out to create a Yin Yang cupcake that packed a bit of a surprise punch. Enjoy!
Babycakes
YOU WILL NEED:
2 1/2 c. white flour
1 tbs baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tbs cocoa powder
1/4 c. high quality bittersweet chocolate
1/2 c. butter, at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 tbs vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
PREPARATION
1. Preheat the over to 325°. Insert liners into medium cupcake pans.
2. In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder. We don't have a sifter, so we combine the ingredients and whisk them for a few minutes.
3. Melt chocolate in a bowl placed over a pot of hot water or use a double boiler and mix until smooth.
4. Place butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, beating with the mixer's flat beater on medium speed. Add vanilla extract and melted chocolate (scraping sides of bowl as needed), until batter is light and airy.
5. Reduce mixing speed to low, add eggs one at a time, mixing well.
6. Gradually add the dry mixture and buttermilk, mix until incorporated into a smooth batter.
7. Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full. We use an ice cream scoop, it's an easy way to get the perfect measurement without making a mess.
After filling 12 cups, we decided we wanted to add a "kick" to the cupcakes, so we added 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper to the remaining batter and mixed well.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the cupcake's center comes out clean. We took ours out at 18 minutes because Sweet Cheek's oven is notorious for overcooking. The toothpick came out clean, but the bottoms were very moist.
9. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.
ICING
We made both chocolate and vanilla icings for our Yin Yang cupcakes.
Chocolate icing:
4 tbs heavy whipping cream
4 tsp light corn syrup
2/3 c. mini choc chips
1. In a small, heavy saucepan, combine heavy whipping cream and light corn syrup over medium heat until it simmers.
2. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips.
Vanilla icing:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tbs heavy whipping cream
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Add more heavy whipping cream if necessary to reach your desired consistency.
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