Cupcake Fondue and Finale Party!

I had been waiting to make this ever since I saw it in How Sweet It Is‘s blog. But it’s not exactly the type of thing I’d just make for myself. It also seemed kinda complicated to bring into the office. Perfect for a finale party though! A couple weeks ago P and C came over to watch the Fringe finale! Olivia vs. Fauxlivia! Chocolate ganache vs. vanilla buttercream vs. sugar glaze! A battle of worlds =) For the toppings I just grabbed some stuff out of the pantry; an array of sprinkles, nuts, cookie crumbs, crushed banana chips and coconut. The pantry is a little out of control, I know.

Vanilla buttercream with sprinkles…

Buttercream with cookie crumbs…

Chocolate ganache with bananas! (My favorite combo)

Ingredients:

Vanilla Cupcakes via Cupcakeblog:

3/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
1¾ cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
2½ tsp baking powder
2½ cups flour
1¼ cups almond milk

Chocolate Ganache via Cupcakeblog:

10 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 cup Silk Creamer
1 tsp vanilla
1 TB buttery stick
2 cups powdered sugar

Vanilla Buttercream

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup buttery sticks
3 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4-1 cup almond milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pan with wrappers.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar together in another large bowl. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Alternate adding milk and dry ingredients until completely combined. Fill cups 2/3’s full and bake 20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

For the ganache, chop chocolate if not already small and put in a heat proof bowl. In a small sauce pan, heat cream on medium heat until small bubbles form around the edge. Pour cream on chocolate, let sit for a minute and then combine. Add in vanilla and butter. Beat in powdered sugar until creamy.

For the buttercream, beat butter and shortening until fluffy. Add in sugar and vanilla and beat until well combined. To make the buttercream dip-able you’ll need to beat in a fair amount of milk. Start with 1/4 cup and add as much as needed.

Enjoy!