Chocolat et Café

Have seen many bloggers posting recipes of cupcakes. That is a good advantage for those who are really into cupcakes to actually do experiments with various recipes and come out with their own formulated ones. Subsequently if they post those new recipes, everyone of us will benefit from them all over again. And soon enough, a circle of neverending cupcake learning community will be formed!

I am one of the cupcake lovers, who also happened to have craving for chocolate cupcakes recently. Initially planned to crown my cupcakes with tangerine cheese cream from one of the appetizing recipes found on the Net, but then it wasn’t the season of tangerine. So I had to figure out the replacement. My bet was coffee butter cream. Nothing can go wrong since both chocolate and coffee compliment each other to deliver the most of both taste and aroma.

RICH CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
Makes 11 cupcakes



1. Chocolate Cupcakes
Prepare: 11 muffin paper cups (diameter 2 ¼ inch, height 2 ¼ inch) and a large baking tray

Ingredients:
- All purpose flour > 120 grams
- Cocoa powder > 44 grams
- Baking powder > 1 teaspoon
- Baking soda > ½ teaspoon
- Salt > ¼ teaspoon
- Milk > 190 ml
- Vanilla essence > 1 teaspoon
- Butter – soften > 90 grams
- Granulated sugar > 187 grams
- Eggs > 2

Method:
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Place 11 muffin paper cups on the baking tray with adequate gap between one another.
- Mix all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift.
- Separately combine milk and vanilla essence.
- Place softened butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until both ingredients are fully combined. Change to high speed and cream for 5 minutes.
- Change speed to medium and add eggs, one at a time.
- Adjust speed to low and add flour mixture alternately with milk mixture in a few additions. Continue to beat until batter is smooth.
- Spoon batter into each muffin cup until ¾ full.
- Bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the cake turns out clean.
- Remove from stove and cool on wire rack.



2. Coffee Butter Cream
Makes approximately 450 grams

Ingredients:
- Egg yolk > 20 grams
- Whole egg > 60 grams
- Water > 90 grams
- Vanilla powder > 1 teaspoon
- Sugar > 124 grams
- Salted butter - room temperature > 250 grams
- Coffee flavoring > 1 tablespoon
- Mocca paste > 1 teaspoon
- Chocolate coloring > 1 teaspoon

Method:
- Combine egg yolk with whole egg. Whip moderately with fork until frothy. Set aside.
- Mix water, sugar, and vanilla powder. Bring to boil until it reaches 118°C. Remove from fire and quickly place hot syrup in a mixing bowl.
- Pour egg mixture into hot syrup while whipping with cake mixer at medium speed. When it is fully in, switch to high speed and continue whipping until cream is cool and thick.
- Add butter into cream and whip until hard and smooth (approximately 5 minutes).
- Fold in coffee flavoring, mocca paste, and chocolate coloring. Mix thoroughly.
- Pop a star piping nozzle into the piping bag and fill with coffee butter cream.
- Pipe cream on top of chocolate cupcakes.
- Decorate more as desired. Serve.