Cosmopolitan cupcakes

I found this cosmopolitan cupcake recipe and knew I just had to share!

FOR THE COSMOPOLITAN CUPCAKES
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup apple sauce
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest (lemon is an okay substitution)1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons cranberry juice cocktail
2 tablespoons lime juice2 tablespoons triple sec
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, at room temperature
Food coloring (optional)

FOR THE COSMOPOLITAN FROSTING
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon cranberry juice cocktail
1 tablespoon vodka (optional)
2 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons triple sec
2 tablespoons milk
Food coloring (optional)

Method
To make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.



In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the apple sauce then stir in the lime and orange zests. Add the cranberry juice, lime juice, triple sec and vanilla, and stir until combined.



In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over the batter and beat until just combined. Stir in half of the milk, then add the remaining flour, and mix again until just combined. Finally, stir in the remaining milk and beat until thoroughly combined, but don’t over mix.



Place 2 tablespoons of batter in each cupcake liner and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.



To make the frosting: In a large bowl, cream the butter until smooth. Add one cup of sugar and beat until combined. Stir in the cranberry juice until just combined, then add another cup of sugar and mix until combined. Stir in the vodka, if using, and the lime juice until combined. Add another cup of sugar and mix well. Finally stir in the triple sec (or orange juice), then add the remaining cup of sugar and beat until well combined and light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, stir in the milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

Individual Chocolate Truffle Torte Cups

Recently I decided to get all my girls together and have a girls night. This resulted in each of us preparing or assisting with a meal that would be served on the evening of out girls night.

Because I am in love with chocolate, dessert and baking, I decided that it is only fair that I make the most chocolatey dish I could find! Sifting through various recipes, I came across this very easy and delicious one! Please note that this dessert is not for the faint hearted. Do enjoy :)

Decadent chocolate truffle torte

Ingredients

• 250g dark chocolate
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 568ml carton double cream
• 4 tsp instant coffee granules
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• cocoa powder , for dusting 

Method

1. Break the chocolate in small pieces into a large heatproof bowl. Spoon in the syrup and pour in about a quarter of the cream. Stand the bowl over (not i
   n) a pan of hot water over the lowest possible heat and leave until the chocolate has melted, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir to combine. Leave until barely warm.
2. Pour the rest of the cream into a very large bowl and tip in the coffee and cinnamon. Whip with a balloon whisk. When you shake the bowl the cream should wobble like a thick milkshake, and when you dribble some cream from the whisk, the trail it leaves in the cream below should disappear in 1-2 seconds.
3. Fold the two together. Pour the cooled chocolate into the bowl containing the cream. With the largest metal spoon you've got, fold the cream and chocolate together - you will see and feel it thicken as you fold.
4. Set the torte. Pour the chocolatey cream into individual cups Place the cups in the fridge and leave to firm up. This can happen in under an hour, but you may need to leave it longer, depending on the coldness of your fridge. My advice: leave it overnight - the results are amazing!
5. For serving, dust with cocoa powder and place an edible flower on top for extra prettiness. 

Hints:
The dessert is very rich, therefore use small cups - unless you're a chocoholic like I am.

If you'd like, you can make a biscuit base. You could also add nuts to your base or mixture.