This homemade chocolate cupcake is one of the best, most popular sweet treats for a crowd, at parties and birthdays. And even more so when it’s complemented with pear and tahini buttercream to cut the sweetness. Now I’m a fancy SOB who eats chocolate cupcakes with a candied cake decoration.
How to Bake a Fluffy Pear Cupcake
- These chocolate & pear cupcakes are very fluffy- the trick is the very thin batter and the low cooking temperature. So don’t be thrown off by the watery texture!
- If you are using dry buttermilk, then add the dry components to the dry mix and the liquid substitute to the wet ingredients.
How to Make Tahini Buttercream Frosting For Piping
- For the buttercream, I noted a range of 2 ½ cups to 4 cups powdered sugar. If you want to pipe the frosting then you’ll need closer to 4 cups for structure, if you’re ok with slathering it on top, then you can stick with 2 ½ cups.
- On another note, if you don’t have ready-made chai spice, I’ve added below a quick recipe to make your own.
- 3tbsp ginger
- 1 1/2tsp nutmeg
- 1tbsp cardamon
- 2tbsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2tsp cloves
- 1tbsp allspice
How to Make Candied Pear Slices
- Bosc pears are the best choice to candy because of their prominent pear shape and because they tend to be firmer compared to other pears –so easier to slice.
- You will get about 7 pretty slices to each pear, so if you’re thinking about decorating a large cake you will need about 3-4 pears.
- Candied pear slices can be dried or baked. The method depends on what you’re hoping to achieve with them.
- Dried pear slices will be flexible: bake at 170 degrees for three to six hours until preferred dryness.
- Baked pear slices will stand up on their own: Follow the steps I outlined in the recipe!
Chocolate & Pear Cupcakes with Spiced Tahini Buttercream
Fluffy chocolate cake with pops of bright pear that comes wrapped in a nutty tahini buttercream. And I can't forget the stunning candied cake decoration - a crisp pear slice. This is a lush cupcake, and a heckin easy recipe to boot.
Equipment
- mandolin
Ingredients
Chocolate & Pear Cupcake
- 1 cup ap flour (120g)
- 1 cup sugar (200g)
- 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (43g)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large egg room temp
- 1/2 cup oil (vegetable, coconut etc.) (120ml)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (120ml) *read afterword
- 3/4 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup hot milk or water (120ml)
- 1 pear peeled, finely chopped
Spiced Tahini Buttercream
- 1 cup unsaltened butter, softened (2 sticks, 226g)
- 3/4 cup tahini, well stirred (201.1ml)
- 2 1/2 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted *read afterword
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 tsp chai spice *read afterword
- 1/4 tsp salt
Candied Cake decoration
- 2 bosc pears
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
Cupcake
- Preheat oven to 300°F and prepare a cupcake pan with liners.
- Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk them together, set aside.
- Combine the egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla in another medium-sized bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Now add the hot milk/water to the batter and mix until well combined. The batter will be thin.
- Fill the cupcake liners about halfway and sprinkle a tbsp of the chopped pear over the top. Bake for 18-23 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool for 2 minutes, then remove them from the pan to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Buttercream
- Beat butter and vanilla bean paste until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. On the lowest speed, beat in the tahini with butter until well combined.
- Add the chai spice and the powdered sugar, a generous tablespoon at a time, beating slowly to combine. Once all the sugar is added, beat the frosting on med-high until smooth.
- Using a frosting bag with your desired tip, pipe frosting onto each cupcake.
Candied Cake Decoration
- Best achieved with a mandolin, slice the pears to a ¼ inch thickness.
- Simmer equal parts sugar & water in a medium-sized pot. In batches, carefully add the pears to the pot until the slices are translucent -about a few minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 250°f , and line your trays with parchment paper, and position the slices in neatly spaced rows.
- Bake the slices for an hour to dehydrate and then raise the oven temperature to 350°f degrees and bake for 10 minutes to get crispy edges.
- Use right away to decorate your cupcakes or store them in an airtight container until ready to use.
Cereal Milk Cookies
Inspired to keep baking? These homemade Milkbar Inspired Cereal Milk Cookies with cereal milk buttercream and marshmallow fluff frosting is one of the best, most popular sweet treats for a crowd, at parties and birthdays!
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