Chocolate | Ayesha Jamal

My love for cupcakes has just begun. I have a feeling that it is one of those eternal loves which poets constantly talk about.And I’m glad its a good kind of deep, nourishing love that tastes so sweet and smells so good.As Marie Williams Johnstone said and I quote “What Makes Life so Sweet? Cupcakes to eat and Someone to Love.” One more thing before we go ahead. I’ve noticed that there are quite a few people (like me) who do not like too much cream on their cupcakes. These cupcakes are God-sent for such people. The frosting on them tastes like coffee-ice cream. The chocolate chips make these cupcakes even more ice-creamish tasting 😀

Before Frosting!

For 12 Cupcakes You Need

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup Buttermilk (See How to make it)
1/4 cup brewed strong coffee cooled
1 tsp espresso powder
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
A pinch of salt

For Frosting You Need

1 egg
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp espresso powder

How to Go about Making Cupcakes

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Set cupcake paperliners into the mould.
Mix espresso powder into the brewed coffee until it dissolves.
Whisk well flour,cocoa powder,baking soda,baking powder and salt.
Add egg,butter,buttermilk,vanilla extract and sugar in one bowl and whisk well until fluffy and light.Slowly add the flour mixture and coffee mixture alternatively.Keep beating with your electric beater.
Pour mixture into the paper liners. Set to bake.
Let cupcakes cool before applying the frosting.

How to make Frosting

Frosting is the best thing about these,like I mentioned. It has to be made very carefully:

Use double boiling method to heat an egg. Keep stirring it. It will thicken. Do not let it solidify.
Add powdered sugar, Stir more.
Remove the egg mixture from the double boiler.
Add butter in a bowl.Add the egg mixture, vanilla extract and espresso powder. With an electrical beater, whisk well.
Add cream to the mixture and whisk lightly once for 10 seconds.
Our frosting is not very stable. Its not meant to be.( If you want to stabilize it, use gelatin)

Apply your frosting the way you like. Chocolate chips and choco balls are amazing over the espresso frosting of these mocha cakes 😀

Cupcake Mixology + basic vegan vanilla cupcakes (thepancakeprincess.com)
Put love on the menu with these romantic Chocolate Cupcake and Chocolate Martini recipes (babescott.com)
Chocolate Cupcake (faustinorach.wordpress.com)
Tiramisu-inspired cupcakes (dienecakes.wordpress.com)
Cupcake Recipe: Booty Call Cupcakes (babescott.com)
Mocha Frosting (teenscancooktoo.wordpress.com)
Water Cooler Cupcakes (twobiddies.wordpress.com)

“The greatest tragedies were written by the Greeks and Shakespeare…neither knew chocolate.” ― Sandra Boynton

When I was a kid mom used to make lovely vanilla custard cakes for me and my sisters,I loved them but I loved chocolate more. Then I grew up, and baking chocolate cakes became an obsession. Recently me ,my sisters and mother were having a “remember when…”, when the topic of her vanilla custard cakes came along. They all looked so wistful 😛 that I decided to bake them custard cakes but…chocolate ones. The rest is history. They loved this cake so much, and every one wanted to know the recipe. Even my mom admits that this is better than her vanilla custard cakes (And that for her is a big thing to admit 😛 )

Ingredients ( For 2 small or one Large cake):

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 1/2 cup milk

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

4 eggs ( whites and yolks in separate bowls)

1/4 tsp vinegar

1 3/4 cup confectioners sugar

A pinch of baking powder

2 tbl spoons strongly brewed coffee

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cherries for decorating

Chocolate ganache for icing

(For Chocolate ganache Put a large pan with water boiling in it. Put a smaller pan over the boiling water. In the smaller pan add a stick of unsalted butter. Add 6 ounces semi-sweet dark chocolate or Milk chocolate. Let the butter and chocolate melt. Stir regularly.Put this in a fridge to cool)

How to go about it:

Preheat the oven. Butter and flour your baking dish.
Melt butter and set aside. Heat the milk and set aside so it gets lukewarm.
In a seperate bowl whisk together the flour,pinch of baking powder and cocoa powder -set this aside
Whip the egg whites to form stiff peaks-set this aside.
Beat egg yolks and sugar until light.Beat in the melted butter,espresso,vinegar and vanilla extract for about 3 minutes.
Mix flour/ cocoa into the batter.
Whisk in the milk. Make sure all the ingredients get well-incorporated.
Fold in the egg whites 1/3 at a time. Keep repeating until all eggs are folded in.
Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish.
Bake for around 50-60 min. The cake should be jiggly but firm( Not wet. To check this, slide a knife into the cake. If it comes out dry, your cake is done )
Let your cake cool in the fridge for a while.
Decorate it with chocolate ganache and cherries.