Living in Kansas City, surrounded by local food products rivaling those created in cities more noted for their food scene, makes me feel spoiled. While we will probably always be known for our BBQ, there’s so much more here….like beer and chocolate.
The cupcakes below were created with Boulevard Chocolate Ale, a limited edition member of the Smokestack Series, and Christopher Elbow’s Drinking Chocolate. The Drinking Chocolate should not be confused with cocoa powder, as it contains tiny pieces of dark chocolate solids, sugar and a bit of vanilla. I used a slightly less-sweet combination of sugars in this recipe than usually used in a chocolate cake batter in an attempt to avoid bitterness when combining this very chocolate-y beer, created with roasted cacao nibs, with sweetened chocolate in a rich cake batter.
There is a touch of bitterness in the cake, but is not nearly as prevalent in the frosting. I’m not sure how to explain this, as the frosting is very sweet and rich with chocolate. Perhaps all of the fat in the frosting counteracts the bitterness. The Chocolate Ale flavor, specifically the lingering cocoa aftertaste, was much more pronounced in the frosting. You might want to make a double batch of the frosting, it was that good.
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| Cupcake Photos by Bentley Skeie |
Chocolate Ale Cupcakes (makes 24)
Chocolate Ale Cake
1 cup Boulevard Chocolate Ale
1 stick plus 1 T. unsalted butter
3/4 cup Christopher Elbow Cocoa Noir Drinking Chocolate
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup coconut crystals
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
3 eggs
1 T. vanilla bean paste
2 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill almond meal/flour
1/2 cup teff flour
2 1/2 t. baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line muffin tins with 24 cupcake papers.
Combine the chocolate ale and butter, chopped into small pieces, in a large sauce pan. Over medium heat, melt butter. Remove from the heat, whisk in the drinking chocolate, brown sugar and coconut crystals.
In stand mixer bowl, mix ricotta cheese, eggs and vanilla bean paste. Add chocolate ale mixture, mixing until incorporated.
Whisk together flours and soda in separate bowl and slowly add into liquid mixture. Mix until just incorporated, no lumps should be present.
Pour a scant 1/3 cup batter into cupcake papers. Bake for 19 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes in pan, remove to cooling rack to continue cooling.
Chocolate Ale Buttercream Frosting
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup Christopher Elbow Cocoa Noir Drinking Chocolate
4 cups powdered sugar (approximately 1 pound), sifted
3 to 4 T. Boulevard Chocolate Ale
In bowl of stand mixer, cream butter and shortening together. Slowly add Drinking Chocolate. Blend until well incorporated. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing to incorporate each cup before adding the next. This mixture will be quite thick. One Tablespoon at a time, add Chocolate Ale with mixer on low until desired consistency is reached. I used all 4 Tablespoons. Once you have reached the desired consistency, you may turn the mixer on high and whip for 3 to 4 minutes if you like a fluffy frosting.
Frost cupcakes once they are completely cooled. I used a large open star tip in a pastry bag.
Top with a Christopher Elbow chocolate of your choice. I used a handpainted chocolate heart on a few, topping the remainder with pieces of “The Patric Project” chocolate bar, a 70% dark chocolate blend created in collaboration with Patric Chocolate, a bean-to-bar chocolate company in Columbia, Missouri. (I mentioned being spoiled earlier. We are seriously spoiled with amazing chocolate in Missouri, with Christopher Elbow and two bean-to-bar chocolate makers!)
I was asked today if I would bake with this Chocolate Ale again. Given the popularity of this beer, I am unlikely to have the opportunity again but if I did, I think instead of using it as a baking ingredient, I would pair it with an orange ginger cupcake. I would love to hear what you had alongside your bottle of Chocolate Ale!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
(The above recipe is NOT gluten-free. To make it gluten-free, substitute a gluten-free beer for the Chocolate Ale. I recommend Green’s Amber Ale or Tread Lightly Ale. Until there is a conclusive hordein test, gluten sensitive folks should probably avoid regular beer. These cupcakes were made for my Valentine, who enjoys gluten, beer and all things chocolate.)
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