Chocolate, red wine and goat cheese cupcakes, plus recipe link!

Blogger Buttercream Blondie made these beautiful chocolate and goat cheese cupcakes for an Oscar party menu, and has the recipe!



From her post:

I opted to go with a cupcake because it's fitting for any party you're having. In order to dress up my chocolate cupcake, I decided I would incorporate goat cheese. I made a goat cheese frosting that is light and airy like a mousse. Light brown sugar in both the frosting and cupcake add a wonderful layer of flavor. That slight tang of the goat cheese frosting paired with the chocolate cupcake is a flavor combination that should not be missed! This is also a great way to try goat cheese in a dessert if you haven't gone there yet. At this point the cupcake was good, but it needed that finishing touch. That's when the red wine popped in my head. I got a sweet red wine and let it reduce till it got nice and syrupy. I spooned a little of the reduction over the frosting, and that's when the magic happened. Besides adding a fantastic color to the cupcake, the wine added a sweetness that was needed. With underlying hints of cherry and pomegranate shining through, it balanced the cupcake beautifully. The final product is incredibly luscious, yet refined at the same time.

While I'm posting about her, I must also include her penguin cupcakes, not because they're related to the goat cheese ones, but because they are so cute!