1.

The cakes are just sweet enough, and have a light, fluffy crumb - the perfect vehicle for rich chocolate buttercream.





A dd just a spoonful of 80 proof or above.

Notes for flaming strawberries:

Any alcohol below 80 proof will not ignite well. I used 80 proof which makes a small blue flame. Note: some have had trouble getting 80 proof to ignite - lots of people are recommending Bacardi 151 as a fail-safe.

You can add a little sugar to the inside of the strawberry to sweeten things up. However, the flame seems to last longer without the addition of sugar.

Make sure to use a liquor that you like. Vodka is a good choice if you want very little flavor.

Alcohol evaporates, so light the strawberry soon after you spoon the liquor in.

Room temperature alcohol ignites better than refrigerated.

Do I have to say it? Probably not, but my conscience will not let me go without. Do not attempt to eat a flaming strawberry. It has a relatively short burn time, lasting about 30 seconds to 1 minute. So, enjoy but be careful. Use your noodle.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Flaming Strawberries

link Chocolate Cupcakes with Flaming Strawberries By Heather Baird Friday, January 14, 2011 Friday, January 14, 2011 Chocolate Cupcakes with Flaming Strawberries Recipe ByPublished:

Call me easily amused, but these little torch-topped cupcakes delight me. Besides being a cute novelty item for a party, I think they would add a little drama to the end of a romantic meal. I've been looking for something different to serve for Valentine's dessert, and this isdifferent. The strawberries are hollowed out and filled with a bit of liquor, then ignited with a match.For the cake portion, I chose a One Bowl Chocolate Cupcake recipe becauseit's quickit is easy, andit fits my prerequisite for a light ending on date night.I should say, a light ending provided you don't eat too many. Which is really,easy to do. Shaina made a margarita version of this on Babble Food. You can find the link HERE , along with some additional tips on getting the alcohol to ignite.Yield: About 20 cupcakes3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder1 1/2 cups all purpose flour1 1/2 cups sugar1 1/2 tsp baking soda3/4 tsp baking powder3/4 tsp salt2 eggs3/4 cup hot water3/4 cup heavy cream3 tbsp canola or other vegetable oil2 tsp vanilla extractPreheat oven to 350 degrees.Line muffin tin with cupcake papers and set aside.Sift together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, water, heavy cream, oil and vanilla. Mix with a hand held mixer until smooth.Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each half full. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool before frosting.2 sticks softened butter4 cups confectioners' sugar4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, siftedIn the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, cream together sugar, cocoa and butter; beginning on low speed then increase to high. Beat until fluffy and lightened in color. Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip. Frost cupcakes.18-24 Strawberries - you'll need as many as you have cupcakesVodka, rum, or your choice of liquor 80 proof or higher (use Bacardi 151 for fail-proof results).Hollow the strawberries carefully. If you pierce the side of the strawberry accidentally, start with a new one. Since you'll be setting the liquor aflame, it is important that the strawberry isSet one strawberry atop each frosted cupcake. Fill strawberries with liquor just before lighting (see tips). If you need to light them all at once, (say, for a party) use a turkey baster to quickly fill all the strawberries and a grill lighter in lieu of matches.