Walnut Whip Cupcakes (Sweetie Challenge part 1)

I lost my baking mojo a bit in the last week or so,  I had been feeling a bit down in the dumps and didn't seem to be able to get inspired, however, last night during that lovely period of being awake and dropping off to sleep I remembered I had some frozen egg whites (as you do!!) and was thinking about what I could do with them, my mind is never far away from sweet delights and I wondered if I could have a go at making a Walnut Whip using Italian meringue? Hmm, I thought, might be tricky to get that cone shape without a mold .. so why not build the shape using cake as a base? zzzzzz .. 9 hours of sleep later they were still on my mind and all day at work ... SO, due to a particularly stressful day of safeguarding issues and running about like a headless Tutor I came home with my baking head in fifth gear and got cracking right away .. here is the result. This is the first of a series of recipes I have designed that remind me of my childhood, of a Sunday evening my Dad would always pop out to the local newsagent for treats and it was Mom who always wanted a Walnut Whip.

In brief the recipe is for a chocolate and walnut  American cupcake style sponge base, an Italian meringue "whip" with a slight lemony twist (I always thought Walnut Whips tasted like they had a bit of lemon in that fluffy bit ..) and a high quality Belgian chocolate shell - crowned with a walnut .. of course!


Makes 12 large cupcakes (Muffin size paper cases).

For the cupcake base (best results in a freestanding mixer). 

200g plain flour

5 tablespoons cocoa powder (I used Cadbury Bournville).
80g unsalted butter
260g golden caster sugar
4 flat teaspoons baking powder
240ml whole milk
2 medium eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract).
50g finely chopped walnuts.

For the whip see "Italian Meringue" section of my Fruit Salad pie recipe, you will need a half quantity of this recipe.
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
If you feel like cheating .. I think you could probably use Marshmallow Fluff - although I have not tried this and can't be responsible if it's awful .. 

Chocolate Topping.

300g of the best quality milk chocolate you can afford. I used Lindt milk. 

12 whole walnuts.

Method 

1. Make the cakes


Preheat the oven to 180c and line a muffin tin with 12 wrappers.

Finely chop the walnuts.

Sieve the flour into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with beater attachment, add the sugar, baking powder, butter and cocoa powder.

Measure the milk in a jug and crack in the two eggs, finally add the vanilla bean paste.

Switch on the mixer containing the dry ingredients and butter and wizz until you have a fine breadcrumb consistency.

Keep the beater going and slowly pour in the milk, egg & vanilla mixture and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Add the walnuts and beat again until they are mixed in.

Pour the batter into the cake cases until they are 3/4 full.

Place the cakes on the middle shelf in the oven for 20 minutes. They will rise into a nice peak.

When baked remove from the oven and leave in the tin for around 5 minutes then remove them from the tin to cool completely on a wire rack.

2. Make the Whip

Follow my recipe for Italian Meringue but half the recipe


When the meringue is ready add the 1/4 teaspoon of lemon extract and give it a final whip.

Put the meringue in a disposable piping bag and place to one side.


3. Make them pretty 

 Take the cooled cakes and cut the peaks off each cake leaving a slight crater, in a similar way as you would make a butterfly cake (see photographs). 

Trim the end off the piping bag (you don't need a nozzle) and pipe a swirl of meringue inside the crater and into a peak, it can be as tall as you like ...

Melt 200g of the chocolate and remove from the heat, throw in the remaining 100g of chocolate and allow the heat to melt it naturally, stirring continuously with a metal spoon. 

When all the chocolate is melted allow it to cool slightly, you need the chocolate to be on the cool side when you apply the shell to your walnut whip, this is because the meringue might weep, even though Italian meringue should be quiet stable (you don't want to risk it after all your hard work).

Use a teaspoon and gently pour the chocolate over the meringue a teaspoon at a time, gently teasing the chocolate down to create a shell - patience and a gentle touch is essential here. You need the chocolate to totally encase the meringue and create a seal between the meringue and the atmosphere - this will mean the cakes will be fresher for longer. 

Finally crown each cake with a walnut half. 

Leave the chocolate to completely set. 

Enjoy! These will keep for 3 days in a sealed container (if they are around for that long). 

Recipe & photographs copyright Lucy Scott 2013