German Chocolate Cupcakes

Remember the impressive cinnamon apple pear pecan tartlets and carrot apple cupcakes? Well, our resident nurse-Air Force officer by day, caterer by…weekend? (I don’t know how she finds time for this!) is back!

We had another potluck, and Becky B. brought out all the stops: 3 new desserts PLUS some make-ahead pork and mango lettuce wraps. Thankfully, she’s been kind enough to share her dessert recipe modifications with me…otherwise, you’d never get dessert on this blog. It would be pork, pork, pork, and maybe a piece of fruit.

First up: German chocolate cupcakes! Growing up, German chocolate cake was one of my favorite desserts. Apparently, tastes are fairly ingrained, as this was my favorite of the many selections. Becky B. noted that she thought the best part of this recipe was the frosting…and, I would have to agree.

Later this week, I’ll be posting the Cherry Chocolate cupcake recipe, as it seems perfectly appropriate for a WLC-Valentine’s Day treat!

 

German Chocolate Cupcakes
Adapted from Raw & Simple 

Makes: 12-16 Servings

FROSTING

• 1/2 cup (113g) pecan or almond butter
• 1/2 cup (40g) unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup of Stevia (powder not liquid) [not doing WLC? try 1/4 c. of maple syrup!)
• 1 Tablespoon (15ml) water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch sea salt
• 1/3 cup (37g) finely chopped pecans
• 1-2 oz. Baker’s Unsweetened Baking Chocolate Bar All Natural 100% Cacao – make chocolate dustings by scraping it across a cheese grater

1. Combine all the ingredients except chopped pecans and shaved chocolate in a small bowl. Mix until well blended and frosting-like consistency. Add a tablespoon of water if needed to thin out the frosting.
2. Place the mixture in the freezer or refrigerator to chill while you make the cupcake base.

CUPCAKE BASE

• 2-1/2 cups (300g) walnuts
• 3/4 cup (134g) packed Medjool dates
• 1/2 cup (50g) cocoa powder
• Pinch sea salt
• 1 egg, lightly scrambled
• 1/4 cup coconut flour

1. Place the walnuts in a food processor and grind into a flour. (It should be fluffy; don’t over process or it will become oily). Add dates, cacao, and sea salt and process until the mixture starts to stick together, but be careful not to over process. If the mixture isn’t sticking together well, transfer it to a bowl, add 1 tablespoon (15ml) of water,  egg and 1/4 cup coconut flour; mix well to blend everything together.
2. Divide the mixture into a mini cupcake pan lined with cupcake wrappers (12 cupcakes). They will have some height to them. Shape the tops into little mounds. If you choose, you can make them flatter and create about sixteen smaller cupcake cups instead. If you don’t own a mini cupcake pan you can press the mixture into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper to make a mini cake.
3. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. 

ASSEMBLY

1. Generously frost cupcakes and top with chopped pecans and shaved chocolate. Becky B. says she used a melon scooper to scoop frosting onto the cupcakes.
2. Cupcakes can keep in the refrigerator for a week or so, and in the freezer for up to a month…but, if your house is anything like mine, you won’t have to worry about “best by” dates on homemade desserts.