Succulent Cupcakes

A light and fluffy chocolate cupcake with chocolate ganache and a chocolate crumb topped with decorative cacti and succulents made from Swiss meringue buttercream

These are definitely my favourite cupcakes and I really enjoyed decorating them and piping the different cacti and succulents. I would definitely recommend giving these a go.

This post is for the recipes of the cupcakes not the piping techniques however I do plan on making another post focusing on how to pipe the different succulents and cacti that I chose to pipe.

For the Cupcake Sponge:

3-4 tbsp Boiling water
50g Cocoa powder
4 Large eggs
170g Unsalted butter
165g Golden caster sugar
120g Self-raising flour
1tsp Baking powder

For the Ganache:

60g Good quality dark or milk chocolate (depending on preference, i used milk)
60g Double cream

For the Chocolate Crumb:

250g Milk chocolate

For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

5 Large egg whites
2 tsp Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
450g Room temperature butter
156g Caster sugar
Any food colouring you chose (i used a combination of green and red)

Method for the Cupcakes:

Line a muffin tin with cupcake cases and preheat the oven to 200c
Sift the cocoa powder into a bowl then slowly add the boiling water to make a thick paste.
Add the eggs one by one mixing in-between the mix in the rest of the cake ingredients until all mixed in evenly.
Divide between the cupcake cases with the cake mixture, then bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and a cocktail stick comes out clean. cool on a wire-rack until completely cool.

Method for the Ganache:

Simmer the cream until almost boiling, then remove from heat and pour onto the chocolate.
Slowly begin to stir until the chocolate has melted (if you stir too fat the fat in the chocolate will separate leaving a layer of fat on top of your ganache)
Leave to slightly cool at room temp or if your cupcakes are already cooled pour the ganache into a piping bag, the using a piping nozzle remove a small section of the top of the cupcake creating a smallish hole. pipe The ganache into the hole in the cupcake filling it so that it is level with the top of the cupcake then leave to cool so the ganache can set.

Method of the Chocolate Crumb:

Using a blender blitz the chocolate until its mostly a fine crumb however i preferred it when there were a few larger pieces mixed in with the fine crumb.

Method for the Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

In a heatproof bowl over a baine marie combine the egg whites and sugar, whisk continuously until it begins to look pale and fluffy and feel completely smooth.
Remove from baine marie and place onto a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment begin on low the increase to medium high then beat until stiff peaks begin to form this will take roughly minutes.
Add the butter gradually until fully incorporated then add the vanilla. At this point swap the whisk attachment to the paddle and continue mixing until smooth and pale.
Separate the mix into different bowls then add the different food colouring to give different shades/tones. Using special nozzles pipe the different succulents onto a small square of baking paper then leave to set i the fridge.
Remove the succulents from the paper and arrange on the cupcake as you wish.