Healthy Chocolate Chip Cupcake

 

Yes, this will be a slightly healthier choice of cupcake if without the frosting. I bought a tub of plain yogurt accidentally and actually I wanted to buy a fruit flavour. Plain yogurt taste really awful, I have try eating it with some fruits but I just can't accept the unique tang. So as usual I will try to utilize it as not to waste the tube of yogurt.

 

 

As I'm going to a B'day party the next day so I bake a batch of cupcake and apply the frosting the next day before I head down to the chalet. I have a book call The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook and I really like the swirl frosting pattern they create on the cupcake. So I went youtube and search, tadah and I found some really good video guide. If you are interested, click the link below.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtzYFcl6nHw

 

http://www.howcast.com/videos/509034-How-to-Frost-with-Buttercream-Cupcake-Tutorials

 

It look so easy in the video but when you hand on it and you will know is not that kind of easy though. Need more practice to create the beautiful swirl.   

 

 

 

Here my first time trying on swirl frosting cupcake with some mini heart shape sprinkle. I added some chocolate chip into the cupcake but the original recipe didn't include. The cake are moist and soft. This is not the kind of sweet and rich taste perhaps because is using oil and yogurt instead of butter and milk. Consume it with the icing will balance the sweetness.

 

*Make 12 cupcake

 

Ingredients:

250 plain flour (reserve some for the chocolate chips)

1 tbsp baking power

100g caster sugar

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

125ml sunflower oil (I use canola oil)

175gm natural yogurt

A handful of chocolate chips

 

Icing:

50gm unsalted butter (softened)

175gm icing sugar (sifted)

25gm cocoa powder, sifted

Any kind of toppings

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C oven. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cases.
2. Sprinkle some flour into the chocolate chips and set aside (This is to prevent the chocolate chips sink onto the bottom of the muffin after the bake).
3. Shift the flour, baking powder and castor sugar into a large bowl.
4. In another bowl, whisk the vanilla extract, eggs, oil and yogurt together until combined.
5. Pour the dry ingredient (step 3) into the wet ingredient (step 4) and stir with a spatula until incorporated.
6. Use a ice cream scoop and divide the batter into the paper cases.
7. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and risen or insert the toothpick come out clean.
8. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. For the decoration, put the butter into a bowl and whisk until fluffy. Gradually add the icing sugar and mix until combined. Add the cocoa powder and 2 tbsp boiling water and whisk until light and fluffy.
10. Using a small palette knife, spread the buttercream over the top of each cake.
11. Decorate with toppings.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I like this cake because of the bright and stunning red with some icing decocation on it. I put some red colouring into the batter to achieve the red sponge. I bought a pack of candy heart shape for the decoation. I saw two different choices, one with bigger heart shape in red colour and the other is shown on the picture above.

Pardon me for the lousy pipping skill, I seldom pipe cream as I don't usually make cupcake. Piping is really fun but it really test on your skill. Either piping or you can use a spatula to apply the frosting on it.

The sponge is moist and it taste great with the cream cheese frosting. If there is remaining that is kept in the fridge, remember to let it defrost at the room temperature for maybe 5 minutes before serving because the cake and frosting turn harden when it is cold.

*Makes 6 cupcakes

Sponge cake ingredients:

• 30gm unsalted butter
• 75 caster sugar
• 1/2 egg
• 5 cocoa powder
• 10ml red food colouring
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 60ml buttermilk (I use low fat milk)
• 75gm plain flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 baking soda
• 1/2 tbsp + 1/4 tsp white wine vinegar (I omitted)

Cream cheese frosting ingredient:

• 150 icing sugar
• 25gm unsalted butter
• 63gm cream cheese (cold)

Method:

Sponge cake

1. Preheat the oven at 170°C.
2. Put the butter and sugar in a bowl with a handheld electric whisk and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a thick, dark paste.
5. Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined and coloured. Turn the mixer down to slow speed and slowly pour in half the milk. Beat until well mixed, then add half the flour, and beat until everything is well incorporated. Repeat this process until all the milk and flour have been added.
6. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth, even mixture. Turn the mixture down to low speed and add the salt, baking soda and vinegar. Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes.
7. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre come out clean.
8. Leave the cupcakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream cheese frosting

1. Beat the icing sugar and butter together with a handheld electric whisk  on medium speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
2. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated.
3. Turn the mixer up to medium speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minute. *Do not over beat, as it can quickly become runny.
4. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon or pipe the cream cheese frosting on top.

Plain Butter Cupcake

Back to basic making a plain buttery cupcake. Although is plain but it bring out the natural flavour.

I had mention before that I wish the cupcake / muffin bake out with a mushroom shape and I try searching in google for the recipe and yet I can't find any. But this time I manage to bake out a batch of mushroom shape cupcake. I'm so thrill when I saw the cupcake form a mushroom shape during the baking process.

There is a trick to make that. I will elaborate more on the method step below. I wish to make the cupcake with a more obvious mushroom shape, shall try it again next time making other flavour.

This recipe yield 6 cupcake. Just nice for my 6 muffin tin which I don't need to bake a second batch. The cupcake give a fluffy buttery taste and sweetness just right. My family give a thump up for this.

Ingredients:

• 100gm unsalted butter
• 90gm Sugar
• 2 eggs
• 100gm cake flour (sift)
• 5gm baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 180°C.
2. In a bowl, using a hand whisk and beat the butter until creamy stage.
3. Add in the sugar bit by bit and mix. (Divide into 3-4 times adding in the sugar)
4. Add in the eggs bit by bit and mix. (Divide into 3-4 times adding in the eggs)
5. Add in the vanilla extract.
6. Add in the sieve flour and baking powder and using a spatula to mix.
7. Mix until the batter become smooth.
8. Prepare the muffin tin, pour in the batter until it reach the top pan. Using a spatula or knife to spread the surface of the batter even. 
9. Bake it for 15-20 min,  or until insert a toothpick in and come out clean.