It makes perfect sense that if you love a cake recipe, then you should also try it in miniature form. And that is exactly what I did with my favourite chocolate cake recipe.
This is a large recipe and can easily give you 15-18 cupcakes. All the same instructions apply except it is baked in a 12-hole muffin pan lined with cupcake liners, and baked for a shorter time. I cored the centre of the cupcakes and filled with the chocolate custard. This custard can also be used as the frosting as there is more than enough to go around to decorate the tops of the cakes.
To top the cupcake, you can also pipe a generous swirl of chocolate buttercream.
Chocolate custard
- 75g cornflour
- 600ml milk
- 300g caster sugar
- 1 TB golden syrup
- 100g sifted cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100g butter
- Blend the cornflour with 200ml of milk until smooth, and set aside.
- Add the remaining 400ml of milk, sugar, golden syrup and cocoa to a saucepan over high heat and whisk well together until smooth.
- Add the cornflour mixture and bring to the boil, whisking constantly.
- When the custard thickens it will be a rich and dark colour and have a silky texture.
- Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla, stirring, until everything melts.
- Turn over custard into a bowl and cover the surface of the custard with a film of plastic wrap. This is to prevent a skin from forming on the surface of the cake.
- The custard can be left to completely cool at room temperature or left in the fridge.
- When ready to use. give the custard a good mix to break any soft lumps that may have formed.
Ingredients for Cupcakes
- 180g butter
- 300g caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 50g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 280g cake flour
- 200ml milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
Method to make cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
- Line 2 x 12 hole muffin pans with cupcake liners.
- Cream the butter and sugar with an electric beater until light and creamy.
- Add the eggs one a time and beat well after each addition.
- Add vanilla.
- Sift dry ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients in 2 batches to the creamed mixture.
- Mix to combine all ingredients.
- Finally add the milk and give a final mix so that all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Divide mixture into cupcake liners and fill 2/3 of the way.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cupcakes are well risen and springy in the centre.
- Leave to cool for about 5. minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorating cupcakes
Once the cupcakes are cool, using a knife, core out a small hole in the centre of the cupcake. Remove the piece of cake and dollop a teaspoon size blob of chocolate custard. Replace the cored out piece of cake over the filled core. Hide the small puncture with a swirl of chocolate buttercream.
Alternatively, simple dollop custard chocolate over the tops of the cupcakes.
Chocolate buttercream
- 250g softened butter
- 3 c sifted icing sugar
- 1/4 c sifted cocoa powder
- 3-5 TB of milk or whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Cream butter with an electric beater until light and creamy.
- Add sifted icing sugar and cocoa in 2 batches,
- Add the vanilla.
- Add milk/cream a TB at a time to get a piping consistency.
- Using a large star nozzle and a piping bag, pipe swirls of buttercream on the cupcakes.
- Decorate with sprinkles.
