Easy chocolate cupcakes (with optional chocolate frosting)
There are so many awesome chocolate cupcake recipes out there - this one is a mash-up of my favourite bits of the ones I think work the best. This recipe makes batter and frosting for around 12 medium sized cupcakes (or 24 mini ones).
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| mini version of these cupcakes (decorated with silver cashous) |
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 80g unsalted butter (softened)
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup self-raising flour (you can use plain with 2 teaspoons baking powder)
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (you can substitute with regular milk)
Method:
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 160 degree celsius (or 180 if your oven is not fan forced).
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar using an electric mixer (adding the vanilla bean paste at the end)
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| butter and sugar |
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| start of the creaming process - but not there yet! |
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| creamed butter and sugar with vanilla bean paste added |
Step 3: Add the eggs, mixing them in one at a time (still using the electric mixer)
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| cupcake batter with eggs mixed in |
Step 4: Sift the cocoa and flour
Step 5: Add the buttermilk and sifted cocoa/flour in smallish alternating batches, using a wooden spoon to mix in until just combined
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| mix in alternating batches of flour/cocoa and buttermilk |
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| completed chocolate cupcake batter |
Step 6: Spoon the cupcake batter into cases and place cases in a muffin tin
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| medium cupcake - fill about1/3 of the case with batter |
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medium cupcakes
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| mini cupcakes |
Step 7: Place tray into the oven for 15-20 minutes, until a cake skewer comes out clean
Step 8: Stand the cakes in the tray for a few minutes until they start to cool, then take them out and place on a board or wire rack to cool them completely.
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| cooked medium cupcakes |
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| cooked mini cupcakes |
Chocolate frosting
This is a really simple chocolate butter frosting. It holds its shape nicely when piped (due to the icing mixture).
Ingredients:
125g unsalted butter (softened)
2 tablespoon of buttermilk (you can substitute with regular milk)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (optional)
1 &1/2 cups icing mixture
1/4 cup of cocoa
Method:
Step 1: Sift icing mixture and cocoa (sometimes I skip this step!)
Step 2: Add the butter, buttermilk (and vanilla bean paste) and combine with an electric mixer until light and fluffy
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| completed frosting |
Step 3: Smooth (using a spoon or spatula) or pipe onto cupcakes
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| frosted medium sized cupcakes |
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| frosted mini cupcakes |
