Well this week has really gone fast! Half term holiday for the kids and we have packed in a lot! Can't believe it's Friday already and they will be back to school Monday. We have had a lot of fun, spending quality time together as well as apart.
The weather was glorious at the start of the week, cool, but full of sunshine. Sadly the latter half of the week has been miserable and raining, but it hasn't stopped the fun.
We are taking it easy today, just hanging out, so I can tell you guys all about this excellent cake recipe I have been using for years and how I altered it to make these tasty Mocha cupcakes!
When my son was small he wanted a dragon as his birthday cake from a book he saw in a shop. It looked really tricky and I had no idea how I was going to make it but of course I didn't want to disappoint him! I was always on the AllRecipes.com site, so off I went in search of a good chocolate cake. I came across this recipe by chance and I am so glad I did as it makes a lovely big, moist, devils food style cake that just has you going back for another piece!
MOCHA CUPCAKES
Adapted from Dark Chocolate cake recipe found here.
(makes 12)
INGREDIENTS
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar (I've used granulated and caster)
2 eggs
1 tsp coffee extract (or more to taste)
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180'C and line a cupcake tray with 12 liners.
In a bowl pour boiling water over cocoa powder and whisk until mixed and smooth. Set this aside to cool.
Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside,
In another bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time and then add the coffee extract. Add the flour alternately with the cocoa mixture (I did about 3 rounds of this). Fill the cupcake liners just under 2/3rds full and bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. The cakes are done when they spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clear. Set these aside to cool while you make the buttercream.
COFFEE BUTTERCREAM
Adapted from Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book (can be purchased here)
1/4 cup milk (use whichever type you prefer, I used semi skimmed)
2 tbs instant coffee
6 tbs Trex or other white shortening
4 cups icing sugar
METHOD
Warm up the milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Add instant coffee to the milk and mix until the coffee dissolves. Set aside to cool.
Using a mixer (I used a Kitchen Aid) blend the Trex until slightly fluffy. Add 1 cup of the icing sugar and mix in well. Next alternate the coffee mixture with another cup of icing sugar blending each time until smooth. I found that 4 cups made quite a stiff buttercream so you can add a little more milk or water to thin it out a little. I chose not to thin mine out, but would again for piping purposes.
Frost your cupcakes with the buttercream anyway you like, however, I am sharing how I did mine. Very easy especially if you use a disposable decorating bag. I recommend the Wilton bags. I had some others and they were just awful. They split all the time, when you tore them apart they would rip away from the join. I gave up with them eventually and threw the rest in the bin!
You will need one decorating bag (in theory!) and a star tip, I used Wilton star tip #21.
Fill your bag half way with frosting and attach the star tip. Starting at the edge of a cupcake, hold the bag straight up with the tip just touching the cupcake. Begin applying pressure and swirl your icing around the starting point to form a rosette.
Continue this method around the edge of the cupcake,
When you have finished the edge, move into the middle and continue with the rosettes until the cupcake is completely covered. You can overlap these to fill all the gaps. Top with some chocolate covered coffee beans if liked.
This takes no time at all. I frosted all 12 cupcakes in about 20 minutes if that!
Enjoy!
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