Extremely Chocolatey Cupcakes
I have tried a lot of cupcakes from various places and have been disappointed many times from them being too dry or not having a very nice frosting. So I went on the search for a good cupcake recipe and I came up with this one. I use this sponge recipe for different types of cupcake as I found it really is the best, its spongey/cakey and is lovely and moist and it has an amazing chocolate flavour. These amazing chocolate cupcakes have a hidden chocolate middle which is so good as it gives you a shot of rich chocolate. I have made these cupcakes and other ones with the same sponge for friends and family and have had nothing but positive feedback. So many people have said it's the best cupcake they have ever eaten, so I would definitely recommend this recipe to everyone as you will not be disappointed.
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Makes 16
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Ingredients:
For the sponge:
70g Unsalted Butter, Softened
170g Plain Flour
250g Caster Sugar
50g Cocoa Powder, Sifted
1 tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt
210ml Whole Milk
2 Large Eggs
For the frosting:
335g Icing Sugar
105g Unsalted Butter, Softened
70ml Whole Milk
1 jar chocolate truffle sauce ( I just bought from a supermarket, any jar of chocolate sauce will do)
Disposable piping bag
Nozzle of your choice
3 6-hole deep muffin tins
1 jar chocolate truffle sauce ( I just bought from a supermarket, any jar of chocolate sauce will do)
Disposable piping bag
Nozzle of your choice
3 6-hole deep muffin tins
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C
2. Line the muffin tins with 16 paper muffin cases, or how ever many you get out of the mixture.
3. To make the sponge, using an electric mixer or hand held electric whisk or by hand, mix the butter, flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together until they form a crumb-like consistency.
4. By hand mix together the milk and eggs, in a jug.
5. On a slow speed, gradually pour half of the liquid into the crumb mixture and mix thoroughly until combined. Beat on medium until the batter is smooth and thick. Once all the lumps are gone, turn the speed back down and gradually pour in the remaining liquid. Continue to mix until the batter is smooth and combined.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared paper cases, filling them two-thirds full.
7. Bake for 20-25 mins or until the sponge bounces back when lightly touched. Leave to cool for a few mins before removing them from the tins and placing on a wire rack. Leave them to cool completely before frosting.
8. To make the frosting beat the butter on its own for 5 minutes in an electric mixer until the butter changes to a light almost white colour. This is what makes the frosting really light, fluffy and creamy. Next add in half of the icing sugar and starting off on a slow speed beat in the icing sugar. Gradually increase the speed and beat until the icing sugar is all mixed in. Then add in the second half of the icing sugar and repeat. Once it is all combined which won't take long, gradually, with the mixer on a slow speed, add in the milk. Then turn the speed up and mix for a minute or so until all the milk is mixed in. You should be left with a very creamy frosting.
9. Next take 2 tbsp of the chocolate truffle sauce and put it in a microwave proof dish and microwave for 10 seconds. This should be enough just to melt it slightly, give it a stir and wait a minute or so just to cool down then add it to the frosting and mix in. If the frosting is too runny which it may be, add in more icing sugar until it firms up. It should be firm enough to hold its shape for piping on to the cupcakes. Keep to the side for using a little later on.
8. To make the frosting beat the butter on its own for 5 minutes in an electric mixer until the butter changes to a light almost white colour. This is what makes the frosting really light, fluffy and creamy. Next add in half of the icing sugar and starting off on a slow speed beat in the icing sugar. Gradually increase the speed and beat until the icing sugar is all mixed in. Then add in the second half of the icing sugar and repeat. Once it is all combined which won't take long, gradually, with the mixer on a slow speed, add in the milk. Then turn the speed up and mix for a minute or so until all the milk is mixed in. You should be left with a very creamy frosting.
9. Next take 2 tbsp of the chocolate truffle sauce and put it in a microwave proof dish and microwave for 10 seconds. This should be enough just to melt it slightly, give it a stir and wait a minute or so just to cool down then add it to the frosting and mix in. If the frosting is too runny which it may be, add in more icing sugar until it firms up. It should be firm enough to hold its shape for piping on to the cupcakes. Keep to the side for using a little later on.
10. Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a sharp knife or a cupcake corer which I used, to make a hole in the middle of the cupcakes. It should be approximately 2cm wide by 3cm deep. Keep the cut out piece of sponge.
11. Melt the remaining chocolate truffle sauce for 10 seconds in the microwave until it's runny. Then spoon the chocolate sauce into the holes in the cupcakes. Fill them up but not all the way to the top so there is still room to put back the cut out bits.
12. Next replace the bits of cut out sponge, pressing them down gently to ensure that the top is level with the rest of the cake.
13. Grab yourself a piping bag. I use the disposable ones as once you're finished you can just bin them. Then snip the end of the piping bag and insert the nozzle. You can use whatever nozzle you want depending on how you want them to look. I used a star nozzle. Alternatively you don't even have to pipe the frosting on you could just spread it on with a knife.
14. Fill up the piping bag with the frosting (you might have to do it in two batches depending on how big your piping bag is) and twist the end. Then starting in the centre of the cupcake pipe a blob of frosting in the middle and then swirl around it continuing to go around and up as high as you want to go. There is no right or wrong really when it comes to the frosting and decoration it is just how you want them to look.
15. Once you have frosted all of them decorate them with whatever decoration you want. Since it is Easter and all the Easter chocolates are in the supermarkets I found some Ferrero eggs which I used. But you could use your favourite chocolate or whatever you find.
16. All that's left to do is sit back, relax and enjoy.
Happy Baking
Rusty
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