ComingSoon is debuting an exclusive My Pokemon Baking Book recipe from the Pokémon-themed cookbook. The book, which was written by Jarrett Melendez, contains over 50 recipes covering all baking skill levels.
My Pokémon Baking Book: Delightful Bakes Inspired by the World of Pokémon is set to release on Tuesday, September 19.
“Explore confections and desserts representing every region of the incredible Pokémon universe,” reads the book’s official description. “Featuring favorite treats that celebrate beloved characters from the world of Pokémon, My Pokémon Baking Book is the perfect addition to any Pokémon Trainer’s kitchen. Great for fans of all ages!”
You can check out an excerpt of the exclusive My Pokémon Baking Book recipe, as well as the written out version, below:
Mimikyu Chocolate Cupcakes with Praline Buttercream
Mimikyu wears a rag stitched together and decorated to look a bit like Pikachu, although that costume isn’t fooling anyone. To contrast our bright, cheerful Pikachu cupcake (page 19), we created a Mimikyu cupcake that mirrors its visual appearance, but with a very different flavor profile. The result is a cupcake that’s full of dark and mysterious flavors, with just a little crunch from the praline paste.
Difficulty: ●●●○
Prep time: 45 minutes
Bake time: 18 minutes
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Dietary notes: Vegetarian
Equipment: 12-cup muffin tin, small saucepan, stand mixer, medium saucepan, hand mixer, four piping bags (one with large round tip), microwave, quarter-sheet pan
Cupcakes
- 2 ounces dark chocolate
- 1⁄2 cup buttermilk
- 1⁄2 cup coffee
- 1⁄2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup neutral oil, such as canola or safflower
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
Praline Buttercream
- 3 egg whites
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup praline paste
To Assemble
- White chocolate
- Dark chocolate
- Red candy melts
To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard muffin tin with 12 paper cupcake liners (preferably brown paper to complement Mimikyu’s colors, but whatever you have is fine!).
- Add the dark chocolate, buttermilk, and coffee to a small saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is well combined. Stir in the cocoa powder until smooth, then remove from heat. Let cool slightly.
- Add the sugar and oil to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on low to combine, then add the eggs and vanilla, beating until smooth. With the mixer running, slowly add the buttermilk mixture. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until just combined, then turn off the mixer. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure the batter is homogenous.
- Divide the batter between the liners and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let cool completely.
To make the praline buttercream:
- While the cupcakes cool, make the buttercream. Fill a medium saucepan with about ½ inch of water. Set over medium-low heat and allow it to come to a bare simmer. Add the egg whites, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar to a metal mixing bowl. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan, ensuring that the bowl isn’t touching the water. Heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Beat the egg white mixture with a handheld mixer on high until stiff peaks form and the mixture is room temperature, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the softened butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until fully incorporated before adding the next 2 tablespoons. The mixture may look soupy and curdled, but this is normal. Keep adding the butter and beating until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Add the praline paste and beat to combine.
To assemble:
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe a large, round dollop of buttercream on top of each cupcake until all the buttercream is used up. If the piping tip leaves any points on the frosting, wet your finger with cold water and smooth the frosting, wetting your finger every two cupcakes.
- Add the white chocolate, dark chocolate, and red candy melts to separate microwave-safe bowls. Working one at a time, heat each bowl in 30-second bursts, stirring each time, until all three are melted and smooth. Add a very small amount of dark chocolate to the white chocolate and stir to make a tan color, adding more dark chocolate as needed to match the coloring of the buttercream. Transfer the two chocolates and candy melts to separate piping bags fitted with fine writing tips. (If you don’t have enough tips, just snip off the very end of the piping bag tip to create a very small opening.)
- Line a quarter-sheet pan with parchment paper. Pipe the white chocolate mixture into 12 spear shapes to create the base for Mimikyu’s straight ear. Then pipe 12 spears that are bent in the middle to create the base of Mimikyu’s lopsided ear.
- Pipe a small amount of dark chocolate on the tips of all 24 ears to complete them. Chill the ears in the freezer until set (5 to 10 minutes), then carefully peel them off the parchment paper and insert them into the buttercream. Use the dark chocolate to pipe 2 messy spirals for Mimikyu’s eyes directly onto each cupcake. Pipe a squiggly mouth on each cupcake with the dark chocolate.
- Pipe 12 smaller messy scribbles beneath the eyes to create the red spots on Mimikyu’s face.
