Take your cupcakes to another level with these decadent recipes from Angela Day.
On the menu:
Chocolate peanut butter cupcakes
Almond and raspberry cupcakes
Cookies and cream cupcakes
Lemon and lavender cupcakes
Stout gingerbread cupcakes
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES
Makes 12
100g dark chocolate discs
180ml hot water
125g butter
300ml castor sugar
3 eggs
500ml flour
60ml cocoa powder
10ml baking powder
5ml vanilla essence
2 chocolate coated peanut butter bars
ICING
125g butter
125ml peanut butter
750ml sifted icing sugar
30-40ml milk
Combine the chocolate and hot water in a small pot and heat gently until the chocolate has dissolved and is smooth. Set aside to cool.
Cream the butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the cooled chocolate mixture. Mix in the vanilla.
Spoon the mixture into paper-lined muffins cups.
Cut the chocolate bars into 1cm-thick slices and press a slice into each cupcake.
Bake the cupcakes at 180°C for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Remove and cool on a rack.
ICING: Cream the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the icing sugar and enough milk to make a spreadable icing.
Spread or pipe the icing onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate with extra slices of chocolate bar, or sprinkle with roasted peanuts.
ALMOND AND RASPBERRY CUPCAKES
Makes 14-16
125g butter, softened
250ml castor sugar
3 extra large eggs
5ml vanilla extract
2ml almond essence
375ml cake flour
250ml ground almonds
7ml baking powder
2ml bicarbonate of soda
125-150ml buttermilk
125ml raspberry jam
ICING
125g butter, softened
750ml sifted icing sugar
30-40ml milk
2ml almond essence
prepared raspberry sauce to decorate, if desired
Cream the butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Beat in the vanilla and almond essence.
Add the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together with enough buttermilk to make a thick batter.
Spoon the mixture into paper-lined muffin cups.
Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean.
Remove and cool on a rack.
Using a sharp serrated knife, remove a piece of the cake from the middle of each cupcake.
Fill with raspberry jam.
Top with the butter icing and drizzle with a little raspberry sauce if desired. If available, top with a fresh raspberry.
ICING: Cream the butter well. Add the icing sugar and enough milk to make a piping consistency. Beat in the essence.
COOKIES AND CREAM CUPCAKES
Makes 12
100g dark chocolate discs
15ml instant coffee powder
180ml hot water
125g butter
300ml castor sugar
3 eggs
500ml flour
60ml cocoa powder
10ml baking powder
2 packets cookies and cream-style biscuits
ICING
125g butter
750ml sifted icing sugar
30-40ml milk
5ml vanilla essence
4-5 cookies and cream biscuits, crumbed
6 biscuits, separated, cream filling discarded
Combine the chocolate, coffee and water in a small saucepan and place over a low heat until the chocolate has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool.
Cream the butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the cooled chocolate mixture.
Line a muffin tin with paper cups. Place a cookie in the base of each cup. Spoon the batter into each cup about three-quarters full.
Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Remove and cool on a rack.
ICING: Cream the butter till soft. Add icing sugar and enough milk to make a piping consistency.
Beat in the vanilla.
Carefully fold in the crumbed biscuits.
Place mixture in a piping bag and pipe swirls onto each cupcake. Decorate with a biscuit.
LEMON AND LAVENDER CUPCAKES
Makes 12-14
125g butter, softened
250ml castor sugar
3 extra large eggs
500ml cake flour
10ml baking powder
200ml buttermilk
5ml lemon essence
grated rind of 1 large lemon
45ml chopped lavender leaves
1 packet of marshmallow frosting, made up according to directions
Cream the butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Sift the flour and baking powder.
Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
Mix in the essence, lemon rind and chopped lavender leaves. Spoon the mixture into paper-lined muffin cups.
Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean.
Remove and cool on a rack. Make up the marshmallow icing and add a few drops of lemon essence. Pipe onto the cupcakes and decorate as desired.
* Marshmallow frosting is available from Woolworths. If you prefer, you can top the cupcakes with a butter icing flavoured with lemon essence.
STOUT GINGERBREAD CUPCAKES
Makes 12
375ml milk stout
125ml molasses
125ml oil
2ml bicarbonate of soda
180ml light brown sugar
2eggs
500ml cake flour
10ml baking powder
10ml ground ginger
5ml ground cinnamon
ICING:
125g butter
250g thick cream cheese
750ml sifted icing sugar
5ml vanilla essence
Put the stout into a pot and simmer over a medium heat until the mixture is reduced to 125ml.
Add the molasses and oil and heat until the molasses is dissolved.
Remove from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. The mixture will froth up.
Add the sugar and stir well.
Set aside to cool slightly.
Beat in the eggs.
Sift the flour, baking powder, ginger and cinnamon into a bowl.
Add the stout mixture and mix until well combined.
Spoon the mixture into paper-lined muffin tins and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Remove and cool on a rack.
ICING: Cream the butter and cream cheese until well combined.
Add the icing sugar and mix well. Mix in the vanilla.
Spread or pipe the icing onto each cupcake and decorate either with a little gingerbread biscuit or chopped glacé ginger.
* The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.