Amazing Chocolate Cupcakes
A friend had shared a post on Facebook from the Stay at Home Chef for The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake it looked so good I simply had to convert it to gluten free. Essentially the cake is 3 tiers with a delicious chocolate cream cheese buttercream icing in between the layers & all over. Things went pear shaped when I accidentally added too much liquid to the icing. As a result the icing was too soft to go between the layers, it started oozing out & then the whole cake took on an ominous angle. I couldn't find any bamboo skewers to hold it into place so used 2 metal skewers that made the cake look like a poor excuse for a dalek. I looked at the clock & it was time for the school bus pick up. Arriving home my daughter looks at the cake, raises her eyebrows & asks if I'm going to take a photo of that. At that moment the cake starts to give way where the metal skewers are, I reach for a knife & the cake - the result is not good. Needless to say that there are no good photos of that particular 3 tiered chocolate cake. I salvaged the cake by taking off the layers & icing them again. Obviously I needed to work on the icing.
I had posted the recipe for a one tier cake on Facebook & was asked whether the recipe would work for cupcakes.
The answer -
Most deliciously!
Ingredients
Cupcakes
Dry ingredients
150 g Bakers' Magic gluten free flour
200 g Caster sugar
60 g Cocoa (I used rich dark cocoa)
1 tsp Bicarb of soda
1/2 tsp Baking powder
3/4 tsp Salt
Wet ingredients
150 g Buttermilk
150 g Warm water
1 egg
110 g Oil (I use rice bran oil)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
Buttermilk - I have made these with soured milk instead of buttermilk. Add 5 g of vinegar to 145 g of full cream milk.
Some Icing suggestions
Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing
I like this one
125 g Cream cheese (softened)
125 g Butter (softened)
250 g Icing sugar
60 g Cocoa
Vanilla extract (optional)
Vanilla Icing
My daughter likes this one
125 g Cream cheese (softened)
125 g Butter (softened)
375 g Icing sugar
Vanilla bean paste to taste
Method
Cupcakes
Turn oven on to 170 C.
Line 2 muffin trays with 16 - 18 patty pans. If using smallish patty pans you may need 24.
Mix together the dry ingredients. I usually blitz them together using a food processor.
Whisk together the wet ingredients.
Combine wet & dry ingredients (by hand or briefly using a mixer). Use a scraper to get rid of any lumps.
Pour into the patty pans to just over half full.
Transfer to the oven & bake for 15 - 18 mins. The length of time will depend on the size of the cupcakes & your oven. Bring out of the oven & allow to cool before icing them.
Icing
Are you in a hurry? If so put the ingredients in a food processor & blend into the icing is smooth.
Do you want a thinner icing? Combine the cream cheese & icing sugar together. Melt the butter in the microwave & add to the cream cheese/icing. Combine until the icing is smooth.
Alternatively cream together the cream cheese & butter. Add in approximately 1/3 of the icing sugar. Mix until the sugar is incorporated. Repeat until all icing sugar is incorporated.
Transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with a nozzle. Top the cupcakes with as little or as much icing as you like.
Simply enjoy!