February 8, 2011
Chris’s Port Chocolate Cupcakes
These cupcakes are the perfect dessert to make for Valentines Day. I use Jessup Cellars Cabernet Port in the recipe. Serve them with a glass of the port and it is heaven! To try them out for yourself, check out my special recipe below!
Port – Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting
Ingredients for Cupcakes:
¾ cup Jessup Cellars Port
¾ cup canned cherries
½ cup butter
3tbsp. + ¾ cup sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
¼ cup cocoa
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 egg
1/3 cup sour cream
Ingredients for Frosting:
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
To make:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour yourself a glass of Jessup Port and take a sip. Linemuffin pan with paper liners.
Simmer port and cherries in a sauce pan for 10 minutes. Remove 1/8 cup of the liquid and set aside. Add butter, 3 tbsp. sugar, chocolate and cocoa to the remaining port in the saucepan and whisk until melted.
Remove from heat and let cool. Meanwhile, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt and set aside. Mix egg and sour cream in a separate bowl . Add cooled port mixture to egg mixture and beat briefly. Then add flour mixture and beat again.
Pour into lined muffin pan and bake for 25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
Beat all frosting ingredients on high speed for about 2 minutes or until soft peaks form. Prior to frosting, spoon the remaining port liquid over each cupcake. Then frost, and decorate with either cherries or chocolate shavings if desired.
Makes 12-15 cakes.
