Double Chocolate Malt Shop Cupcakes

Do you ever wonder why a recipe wins in a recipe contest? You look over the recipe and it seems like a little twist on a million other recipes you’ve seen or even made. What makes this one make thousands or even a million dollars for that lucky cook? I’ve decided it’s that little twist.


You probably know by now that I have a very large cookbook collection and I’m very fond of trying out recipes in them. But it has occurred to me many times that there really are only so many possibilities to combine foods and make them taste good. Or are there? I started to watch the program “Chopped” on the Food Network a while back and was astounded at the ingredients these cooks were given from which to make a tasteful dish—and even more astounded that they seemed to do it. So I strayed from my usual habit to stick strictly with a recipe and decided to be a little innovative and sneak some different ingredients in the old standards. It actually turned out to be pretty easy and a lot of fun.

Next, I perused a few of my cookbooks that have contest-winning recipes in them, most notably, The Cooking Contest Cookbook by Joyce and Don Campagna. I did find that most of the recipes were standard at inception and then just deviated a little bit to put it over the top; in one contest an imaginative man spread pimiento cheese on pizza crust, cut it into small pieces and served it as an appetizer. Of course it is imperative that the cook has a knack for knowing what tastes good and looks good and, less importantly, is fashionable in food. Looking through my old copies of the Pillsbury Bake Off contest, the style of the winning recipes is very different in later years than in earlier ones.

A friend of mine, originally from Poland, loves to cook and her food is always wonderful. I can never believe the marvelous dishes she prepares—and they look as good as they taste! I queried her about the recipes she uses and her reply was, “Recipes? I never use recipes—I look in the cupboards and the refrigerator at what I have and then I cook.” The same philosophy was part of my late mother-in-law’s renowned recipe for bacon rolls or, in Latvian, piragi. Every woman in Latvia made them and each one a little differently. She changed her basic recipe when she came to America to suit the ingredients available here and also to lighten them up for the trend to healthier foods. They became so famous and loved that people still talk about them and some ask me to make them and send them if I can. (I can and do!)

I found this recipe in the April 1, 2009 copy of Family Circle magazine and wondered, at first, how Julie Hession of Las Vegas, NV, could win a big check with a simple-sounding cupcake. Three ingredients set it apart from the usual chocolate cupcake with buttercream frosting—and they made all the difference. I have had rave reviews from these from guests and friends:

Double-Chocolate Malt-Shop Cupcakes with Cherry-Vanilla Buttercream
Makes 20 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup malted milk powder (such as Carnation)
½ tsp. espresso powder
2/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup miniature chocolate chips

Cherry-Vanilla Buttercream:

4 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp heavy cream
2/3 cup tart cherry preserves
Malted milk balls or maraschino cherries, for garnish

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with 20 paper liners. (I sprayed mine lightly with Pam—lg). Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt until blended. Beat milk, malted milk powder and espresso powder on medium speed. Add canola oil and eggs; beat until blended. On low speed, add flour mixture to milk mixture; beat until smooth. Add sour cream and vanilla and beat until combined. Stir in miniature chips. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling halfway. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pan on wire rack for 2 minutes. Remove cupcakes to rack; cool completely.

Buttercream: Beat confectioners’ sugar and butter on medium-low speed until well blended. Add vanilla and heavy cream; beat for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in cherry preserves until well incorporated. When cool, frost the cupcakes with a knife or offset spatula. Garnish the top of each cupcake with a malted milk ball or cherry and serve.