MOCHA CHOCOLATE CHIP CUPCAKES

I really wanted to bake something sweet since last week.  I also wanted to use the chocolate chips I bought a while back.  Here in Mauritius, it's so difficult to get good chocolate chips.  Let's hope this one is good.  I was wondering whether I should bake some chocolate chip cookies or some cupcakes.  But finally I decided to make some cupcakes.

The combination method is ideal to make any chocolate cake.  This method guarantees a moist and soft end product.

Ingredients (Makes 22-24 mini cupcakes)

Cake batter:

175 g self-raising flour

25 g cocoa powder

150 g fat (I used half butter and half margarine)

125 g + 25 g sugar

3 large eggs

60 g + 20 g chocolate chips

5 tablespoon water 

1 level tablespoon coffee (I used Nestcafé Espresso super fine and strong)

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Coffee butter cream (Adapted from Stephanie Jaworski's  Confectioners Frosting - Joy of Baking)

160 g icing sugar

80 g butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon coffee powder

Method - Cupcakes (Combination Method)

1.  Warm the water and dissolve in the coffee.  Allow to cool.

2.  Cream the fat and 125g sugar using an electric mixer for about 10 minutes until light and fluffy.  From time to time scrape mixture down sides of bowl.  Refer to  Aeration Test to know when the mixture is well creamed.

3.  Separate the eggs.  Whisk the egg whites until frothy.  Add the 25g sugar and beat until soft peaks form.  (Don't forget that all your equipment should be clean and fat-free while whisking egg whites). 

4.  Beat the egg yolks and vanilla essence in the creamed mixture.  Sift in half of the flour and cocoa powder; add half of the coffee and fold.  Sift in the remaining flour and cocoa powder and add the coffee.  Fold, fold and fold!!

You saw it right!! I am using a tea strainer to sift the flour!!

You should end up with something like so!

5.  Gently fold in half of the whisked egg white.  Stir in the 60 g chocolate chips.  You can add more if you want.   Fold in the remaining whisked egg white.

6.  Fill the cupcake cups 1/2 to 2/3 full.  It depends on you.  If you like the rounded top then it should be 2/3 full.  If  you like it flat, then I recommend 1/2 full.  I filled mine just about 2/3 full.  I have also brushed the inner bottom of my cupcake cups with butter.

7.  Sprinkle some extra chocolate chips on top.   

8.  Bake them at 190°C for 15 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.  Do not over-bake if you want a moist cupcake.

Method - Coffee butter cream

1.  Dissolve the coffee in the milk.

2.  Cream the butter, icing sugar and vanilla essence until pale in colour.  Beat in the coffee-milk mixture little by little until light and fluffy.  Don't forget to scrape mixture down sides of bowl.  I have used an electric mixer for making the butter cream.

3.  Pipe little stars or rosettes on each cupcake.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips.  You can eat them right away!!.  You can store them in an airtight container or a cupcake container.  You can also store them in the refrigerator but remember to remove them from the fridge at least two hours before eating.

Oops... She is about to steal one cupcake!!!

The cupcakes was moist, soft and tender.  My friends and my family have liked it.  The flavour of the cake will definitely depend on the quality of the ingredients you have used.  For instance, cakes made with good quality butter have a better taste than cakes made with margarine or oils.  Butter also helps to give volume to cakes.  On the other hand, margarine is more appropriate if you are looking for softer and tender cakes.  What I want to say, is simply that the fat you should use to bake a cake depends totally on what characteristics you are looking for in a cake.