IronCupcake_007: Scharffen Berger Crater Cakes w/ Homemade Ice Cream

Iron Cupcake:Earth
Theme: Coffee
My 2nd entry: Scharffen Berger Crater Cakes w/ Homemade Ice Cream
Voting begins: Sunday, March 1 at 8 pm Central @ http://mkecupcakequeen.blogspot.com/ and will be open through Friday, March 6 at 12 noon Central.

For my second IronCupcake:Earth entry this month, I knew I wanted to use the homemade coffee ice cream I made last week. I had a bag of Scharffen Berger tasting squares laying around, and because I rarely eat chocolate on it's own, I decided to bake with it. I made Martha Stewart's sunken chocolate cupcakes, but I added some coffee to really boost the chocolate flavor. Right before serving these, I topped them with a scoop of coffee ice cream and a drizzle of caramel. They were perfect! The creaminess of the ice cream paired well with the deep, dark chocolate flavor of the cupcakes. I think next time I'll substitute at least half of the bittersweet chocolate for semi-sweet, because the cupcakes were slightly bitter on their own. Sadly, I ran out of coffee ice cream before I could snap a photo. Oops! I guess the "wing nighters" really liked it! The ice cream pictured on the cupcake is chocolate cookies & cream.

I found these at TJ Maxx! Egg whites ready to be folded into the thick, shiny chocolate batter...
I just barely got eleven!
They puff up in the oven and sink drastically as they cool.
Hello IronCupcake #2!

Scharffen Berger Crater Cakes
Makes 10-12
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in pieces
5 ounces Scharffen Berger (or other good quality brand) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, separated, plus 2 large egg yolks
Coffee Ice Cream
Caramel ice cream topping (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray; set aside.
Place butter, chocolate, and instant coffee in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally, until melted and thoroughly combined. Remove from heat; set aside.
Combine the 4 egg yolks with 2 tablespoons sugar. With a handmixer on high, beat until the mixture is pale yellow and thick. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture.
With a hand mixer on high, beat the 2 egg whites until soft peaks form, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and beat until stiff and shiny but not dry. Fold into chocolate mixture. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, and bake until set and slightly springy to the touch, 14-16 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in pan; carefully run a knife around edges of cakes, and unmold. Serve each with a scoop of coffee ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.



Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5
Tenderness: 5
Frosting Ice Cream: 5

Prizes provided by Etsy artists:
DIANAEVANS
A pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES
Also, CAKESPY, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice!
SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY will be tossing in another treat as well.
Corporate prize providers:
HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS
HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson
JESSIE STEELE APRONS
CUPCAKE COURIER
TASTE OF HOME books
UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM
Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers