I think now is probably a good time to
confess. It’s time I admitted it: I am a chocoholic. I know that plenty of
people say they love chocolate, but it’s important that you understand- I
REALLY love chocolate. Just typing this, my mouth is watering at the thought of
chocolate.
I’m also a devoted fan of cake. I’m not
too fussy about the type of cake, but obviously chocolate is my ultimate
favourite. It has taken me a long time to find a recipe for chocolate cupcakes
which lives up to the perfection I want, but I have found one. It is from ‘The
Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook’, and I should warn you that they are incredibly
rich. But they are also the most delicious chocolate cupcakes you will ever
have the pleasure of tasting.
The recipe should make 12 cupcakes. Here’s
how to make them.
You will need: 100 g plain flour
20 g
cocoa powder
140 g caster sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
A
pinch of salt
40 g unsalted butter (softened)
120 ml whole milk
1 egg
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Start by preheating the oven to 170°.
Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases.
Put the flour, cocoa powder, caster
sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a bowl. Beat until the ingredients are
well combined and you have a sandy consistency.
In a jug, whisk the milk, egg and
vanilla extract together. Then pour about half into the floury, chocolaty,
sandy mixture. Beat this until it is combined.
Pour in the remaining milk mixture, and
continue mixing until it is smooth. Use a spatula to scrape in any uncombined
ingredients from the side of the bowl.
Spoon the mixture into your cupcake
cases, dividing it between the 12 of them.
Bake in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes.
You know the cupcakes are done when they bounce back up when they are touched.
If you insert a skewer of knife in the center it should come out clean if they
are cooked.
Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tin.
When they are cool enough, transfer them to a cooling rack to cool down
completely.
When the cupcakes are cold, you are
ready for the best bit… the decoration!
For this, you will need: 300 g icing sugar (sifted)
100 g
unsalted butter (softened)
40 g
cocoa powder (sifted)
40 ml
milk
You might also like to get some
sprinkles to go over the icing.
Beat the icing sugar, butter and cocoa
powder together. I recommend using a spoon to combine the ingredients a little
to begin with; if you go straight in with an electric mixer you will find
yourself lost in a fog of icing sugar. Once the ingredients are combined and
well mixed, add the milk to the mixture a little at a time. Once all of the
milk is incorporated, turn the mixer up and keep mixing until the icing is
light and fluffy. The longer you mix it for, the lighter the icing will be.
Once ready, you can either use a knife
to spread the icing over the cupcakes, or pipe it on with a piping bag. If you
do this, swirl the icing onto the cakes in a circular motion.
Add sprinkles or any other decorations
you desire. If it’s someone’s birthday, why not stack the cakes up and pop a
candle in each one?
And there you have it, the world’s best
chocolate cupcakes.
Enjoy!
Emma J
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