CPBC Chilli Cook-Off/Cupcake Wars

Sunday night was the annual Clough Pike Baptist Church Chilli-Cook-Off and Bake-Off. Except this year, instead of doing a generic bake-off, the folks in charge decided to do their own Cupcake Wars, like the show on Food TV.

I've never won the bake-off, though I have tried every year. But this year I won! My cupcakes won the chocolate division. I was so excited!

Chilli is big in Cincinnati. Very big deal. People are serious about their chilli.

Here's my recipe for cupcakes. I took pieces of three different recipes.

Kara's Devil's Food Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Filling

and Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cups cake flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbps. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup Coke

For the ganache:

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

For the cream cheese frosting:

1 pound cream cheese

2 sticks butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup almonds, roasted and chopped

Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 325, Line 2 12-cup muffin pans with liners. Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt together three times. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer at high speed for 15 seconds until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Continue beating until light and fluffy, and 6 more minutes. With the mixer at its lowest speed, beat in one-third of the flour mixture. Beat in the buttermilk and vanilla, then another one-third of the flour mixture. Beat in the Coke and then the remaining flour mixture. Fill the muffin cups halfway and bake and 25 minutes, or until the centers spring back when lightly pressed. Set the pans on a rack to cool.

Make the ganach: In a saucepan, bring heavy cream to a boil. Turn heat off and add chocolate chips. Whisk while chocolate chips melt into cream. Let cool.

Make the frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

If you don't have a cupcake pan that makes automatic holes for your cupcakes, cut a small hole in the center of each cake. Fill with ganache. Spread chilled frosting ontop. Garnish with chopped almonds.