Ratatouille Cupcakes

Makes 24 Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

• 1 cup water

• 3 tablespoons cocoa

• 2 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 2 eggs

• ½ cup buttermilk

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Mousse:

• 3/4 cup cold heavy cream, divided

• 1/2 cup good quality chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate (6 ounces)

Frosting:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

• 16 oz. confectioners sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• Pinch of salt

• 1-2 tablespoons of milk or cream 

Decorations:

• Fondant in brown, red, green, and pink

• Gray jimmy sprinkles

• Candy eyes

Instructions: 

1. Make Cupcakes – Mix flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
   
   

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine 1 cup of cubed unsalted butter with water and cocoa. Stirring constantly, heat mixture until it reaches a boil. Remove from heat.
   
   

3. Add chocolate mixture to flour mixture and mix well using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Slowly add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla mixing well.
   
   

4. Prepare muffin tins with cupcake papers. Put approximately 3 tablespoon of batter in each cupcake paper or about ⅔ full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack.
   
   

5. Make Chocolate Mousse – In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, warm 1/4 cup of cream. When steaming but not boiling, add 1/2 cup chocolate and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside to allow chocolate to melt. When melted, whisk the chocolate and cream until smooth and fully combined. Set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat remaining cream until soft peaks form. Using a large spatula, fold the whipped cream into the chocolate in three batches. Add mousse to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. Set aside.
   
   

6. Make frosting – Cream butter in a medium bowl using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer. When light and fluffy, add confectioners sugar and salt bit by bit until fully combined. Add vanilla and cream or milk until completely combined. If buttercream seems too thick, you may add another tablespoon of milk or cream. If it seems runny, you may add more confectioners sugar. This frosting will need to be relatively stiff to create the Remy face cupcakes.
   
   

7. Assemble cupcakes – Add mousse to a piping bag with a large round tip. Carefully cut a 1 ½” divit out of the center of each cupcake taking care not to cut all the way to the bottom. Pipe mousse into the opening stopping at the top. Smooth the mousse so it is flush with the top of the cupcake if necessary. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
   
   

8. Frost the cupcakes – Frost the cupcakes using your favorite tip. Reserve extra frosting for Remy faces.
   
   

9. Decorate the “Remy’s Soup” cupcakes – Make small wooden spoons and vegetables using brown, red, and green fondant. Add them to the tops of half the cupcakes.

10. Decorate the “Remy Face” cupcakes – Prepare your piping bag with more white buttercream and a large round tip. Onto the center of the cupcake pipe a half egg shape that is approximately 1 ½-2” tall, 1 – 1 ¼” wide, and raised about ½-¾  inch off the surface of the cupcake. This will be Remy’s face so make sure the bottom of the egg shape is slightly narrower than the top. Carefully cover the face with gray jimmies. This is best done by hand. Next, use your piping bag fitted with a small round tip, create small ears. Cover those with jimmies as well. Roll small pink balls from fondant to create the center of Remy’s ears and nose. Add the pink fondant details as well as two close set eyes.