Not Tiramisu.

Today is the birthday of one of my very first friends.  I've known Eleanor since before she was born, which is longer than I've known just about anybody, I guess, so that earns her pretty high Friend Status.  She asked me last month if I'd bake for her birthday, and of course I said I'd love to!  (Although, I say that to pretty much anyone who asks, so I suppose it's not really a testament to my friendship, but whatever.)  After much discussion, we decided on a very nice Tiramisu cupcake that is soaked in a coffee-marsala syrup and topped with mascarpone whipped cream.  They were going to be amazing, and I couldn't wait for her to come over to get them.

And then I took them out of the oven.

People, this was a major Tiramisu Fail.  The little cakes were strongly vanilla flavored, and they had a nice texture, but Lordy me.  They were NOT fit for a birthday girl.  Sad, shrunken and puny is what they were.  Pathetic.  I didn't bother with either the syrup or the frosting.  I just piled them on a plate in the corner so they could think about how they'd disappointed me.

Then I did my best to get over the Tiramisu problem and come up with something birthday-worthy.  The good news here is that I have lots of no-fail cupcake recipes tucked away, and in the eleventh hour, I settled on one of my all time favorites.  I found these Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes with Fennel Cream Cheese Frosting several years ago, and I've made them quite a few times, always with brilliant results.

The cake in this recipe has a very high ratio of eggs & butter to flour, which makes them rich and almost brownie-like.  In fact, they even get that little crackly top that you find on good brownies.  They're studded with dried tart cherries that have soaked in brandy (always a good thing), and finished with cream cheese frosting that is flavored with fennel-infused simple syrup.

There's only one word for these.  Amazing.  For real.  I love this cake, and have made it many times both with and without the cherries, but it's the fennel in the frosting that is the total killer.  The flavor is subtle, but even before it's had time to develop, it's clear that there's something special going on.   The fennel lifts cream cheese frosting to new heights, which is really saying something, considering the complete and total awesomeness of cream cheese frosting.

So in the end, Eleanor got her birthday cupcakes.  They weren't what she was expecting, or even what she'd asked for, but they were still delicious, and I got the chance to revisit an old favorite.  Tiramisu, be damned.

And anyway, I was already riding my trike when she was still a fetus, so I get to call the shots here.  She might be another year older today, but I've still got seniority.


Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes
adapted from the Cupcake Bakeshop


Makes 24
Preheat oven to 350º 


Chop, put in a small bowl, and cover with brandy:
1/2 cup dried cherries


Place in the bowl of an electric mixer:
200 grams dark chocolate, chopped
3 sticks unsalted butter


Place pan over a pan of simmering water and stir until butter and chocolate are melted.


Remove from heat and stir in:
2 1/4 cups sugar


Let stand for 1o minutes, then beat with mixer for 3 minutes


Add, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each:
8 eggs


Sift into chocolate mixture and mix until blended:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt


Scoop into paper lined cups and bake for 20 - 25 minutes.


Fennel Cream Cheese Frosting


Heat in a small pan over medium heat:
3 Tbsp water
3 Tbsp sugar


Stir until sugar is dissolved, then add:
1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed


Let boil over med-low heat 3-5 minutes, until syrupy.  Strain out fennel seeds and set syrup aside to cool.


Beat until light and fluffy:
2 packages cream cheese
1 stick butter


Beat in:
3 cups sifter powdered sugar
fennel syrup


Gradually add more powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until you reach the desired sweetness/consistency.