These cupcakes were made for my A-Levels classmates, PM6, and teachers, as a token of appreciation to them for being so supportive over the past half year.
PM6, this flog post is for you!
Moist chocolate cupcake with bittersweet chocolate lava center, topped with chocolate buttercream frosting.
Yield : about 24 cupcakes
Ingredients
Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar (I personally like my cupcakes less sweet, using 1 1/2 cups of sugar)
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups brewed coffee (or 2 cups of warm water mixed with 3 teaspoons of espresso powder or instant coffee granules)
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
- 12 tbsp olive oil
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 2 sticks of butter (226.8g), softened (but not melted!)
- 3 1/2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp milk or heavy cream
Lava Centre
- 1 cup baking chocolate
- 1 cup heavy cream
Steps
Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle position. Prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt until there are no visible clumps (cocoa tends to clump up).
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the coffee, vinegar, vanilla extract, and olive oil.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until they just come together. The mixture should be thin and rather lumpy.
5. Ladle the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about two-thirds of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a bamboo skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool on a rack.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1. Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Turn off the mixer.
2. Sift 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the dry ingredients do not blow everywhere) until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter.
3. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes.
* If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
Lava Centre
* This is just the basic chocolate ganache.
1. Chop up baking chocolate into smaller sizes.
2. Bring heavy cream to a boil in a double boiler, make sure that you stir it consistently to prevent the sides from burning.
3. Pour boiled heavy cream over chocolate, and stir until all chocolate has melted.
4. Set ganache to cool.
Putting the cupcake together
1. Make a hole in the middle of the cupcake using a skewer or knife.
2. Fill hole with chocolate ganache.
3. Pipe chocolate buttercream onto cupcakes in any design you like. (Piping nozzle used in photo : 12mm, plain round tip)
Kitty cupcake just for fun. :3
Enjoy!
