Friday Food: Choctella Cupcakes
Friday, 17 February 2017
This week I had medical appointments every day except today, when I had a social appointment. There was a lot of sleeping in the afternoons. I started making the frozen caramel slice from the cover of the March Delicious, but I slightly lost the will to continue. Instead, I baked the incredibly quick and impressive Choctella Cupcakes from the March Taste Magazine.
I changed one thing: I only used 85g of butter and I substituted vegetable oil for the remaining 15g. The oil helps to keep the cake moist and gives a nice texture, while the butter adds flavour.
I know there are some people who do not like to use Nutella, as it contains palm oil. There are recipes to make your own Nutella: eg here and here. I don't eat chocolate so I don't eat Nutella, but I am conflicted. I bought another brand, Nutino, which rated a B on the Shop Ethical site.
Baking crisis averted. I can highly recommend this recipe. When I moved the cupcakes to the cooling rack I accidentally tore a little piece from the top of one and I ate it!! It was delicious and I thought a fingernail size piece wasn't going to hurt me!!!
Choctella Cupcakes makes 12
- 140g (2/3 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
- 100g butter, room temperature, cubed ( I used 85g butter/15g oil)
- 75g dark choc (I used 70%) chopped
- 125ml (1/2 cup) water
- 2 eggs
- 150g (1 cup) self raising flour
- 50g (1/3 cup) plain flour
- 2 tbspn (40ml) cocoa, (I use Dutch processed)
To decorate
- 240g (3/4 cup) choc-hazelnut spread
- 300ml cream, whipped
- 12 Ferrero Rocher chocolates ( hazelnut chocolate confections)
- chocolate sprinkles or grated chocolate
Preheat the oven to 180*C/160*C fan-forced and line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.
Put the sugar, butter (butter and oil), chocolate and water into a pan over a low-medium heat and stir for 2-3 minutes until smooth. I microwaved mine for 2 minutes on medium, stirring half way through. Cool slightly then add the eggs and whisk.
Sift over the flours and cocoa and fold gently through.
I used a 1/4-ish cup ice-cream scoop to fill the paper cases. The recipe filled the 12 cases perfectly. They should be about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes. The cupcakes are cooked when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Put them on a cooling rack straight away. When they are cool, swirl on some choc-hazelnut spread, dollop on some whipped cream, add a Ferrero Rocher and chocolate flakes. The cupcakes look, and taste, fabulous!!!