For the past two weeks I've been thinking, focusing and working on a cake creation which I wanted to perfect. Creating a chocolate cupcake isn't as easy as it sounds; creating the ULTIMATE chocolate cupcake is a challenge. Last week I sieved through five recipes for the perfect chocolate sponge and still wasn't satisfied. With motivation about to fizzle out like cheap popping candy I cleared my head and went to yoga. As soon as I got home, the radio was switched on and my not so sexy union jack apron was ready to be stained with cocoa powder. As well as it being Chocolate Week 14-20th October, I'm also making these to win a trip to NYC courtesy of Dr. Oetker. Fingers crossed people!
Right, if you want to make these cupcakes let me give you a few home truths:
1. They contain a lot of chocolate, I tried to incorporate chocolate in every step.
2. Buy good quality chocolate when baking, it makes a massive difference to texture, taste and appearance. Also you might get people putting in orders once they taste these!
3. Focus and be a perfectionist when it comes to accuracy and appearance.
4. Think YES YES YES. Not only when you bake but anything you put your hand to. Don't give up or serve cakes you wouldn't eat.
I've been loving Janet Jackson this week....
Ingredients for cake sponges.
150g caster sugar
60g unsalted butter
1 large egg at room temperature
20g cocoa powder
150g plain flour
100ml semi skimmed milk
Bottle of white wine vinegar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
Filling 1:
150g melted white chocolate
50g milk chocolate chips
Topping 2:
Dark chocolate custard butter cream
60g unsalted butter
125g icing sugar
2 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp custard powder
20g cocoa powder
Topping 3:
White chocolate salted butter cream
6og butter
125g icing sugar
50g melted white chocolate
Half a tsp of sea salt
Topping 4:
Milk chocolate cola butter cream
60g butter
125g icing sugar
1 tsp cola essence
20g cocoa powder
Chocolate Dust:
Milk chocolate chips
White chocolate chips
Edible lustre white hologram glitter
Blend milk chocolate chips with half a teaspoon of glitter until like dust and keep to one side in a small cup or bowl.
Repeat with white chocolate chips.
▶ Ready to bake?!
We have bake off....
Method:
Preheat oven 180°c.
First make the sponges by whisking butter and sugar until pale.
In a jug add milk with two tablespoons of vinegar and let it rest for a while.
Add egg to butter and sugar and whisk until everything combined.
Next add cocoa powder and flour.
Pour in milk and vinegar mixture, then baking powder and 2 tsp extra of vinegar.
Scoop into 12 cupcake cases and bake for 20 minutes.
Once well risen and smelling delicious keep out of the oven and let them cool on a cooling rack.
CAKE SPONGES DONE..
Once cakes have completely cooled, start measuring out all the other ingredients for toppings so you are prepared.
Filling 1: melt white chocolate in a bowl suspended over boiling water, let it cool for a few minutes.
Using an apple corer, make a hole in one cupcake and fill with half a teaspoon of white chocolate and four milk chocolate chips. Do this with all the other cakes and replace sponge lids from corer.
Use any remaining white chocolate to pour over cakes. Then let them cool.
Make topping 2 by whisking all ingredients and pipe one circle only around each cupcake.
Make topping 3 exactly the same way but add melted white chocolate once its slightly cool not really hot. Pipe in the middle only.
Topping 4 is similar, add all those ingredients in a bowl and whisk away. I love cola essence. Once I found it I went back and filled my basket with 20 bottles. No joke.
Pipe this buttercream on top of white buttercream and add a white chocolate chip as a cute touch.
Now this part was really fun and my creative baking brain is incredibly happy with the outcome. In my opinion chocolate chips are great in cookies and thats about it. I put them in a blender with glitter and BOOM a wonderful dusty texture of magical choco dust is formed. Sprinkle on each cupcake for a bit of sparkle.
Good luck and let me know what you have been mixing and cooking.
If you want to get involved with chocolate week, definitely submit your lovely creations to Dr Oetker's FB page.
If you want to get involved with chocolate week, definitely submit your lovely creations to Dr Oetker's FB page.
Favourite song from Janet Jackson:
Got 'Til It's Gone'
M.x
