Mocha Cherry Cupcakes

 

What's not to love, deep rich chocolate with hints of coffee and plump cherries enhance this super moist cupcake. I chose not to icing them as I found the cupcake itself was sweet enough for my liking, regardless you may icing or decorate these however you wish. And the lack of icing doesn't make them less enjoyable it just focuses more on the voluptuous cakey bit rather than the sweet icing bit.    

Mocha Cherry Cupcakes

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fresh cherries, pitted or frozen pitted cherries or canned pitted cherries, drained, for decorating

icing sugar, for decorating

grated dark chocolate, for decorating

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake papers or silicone baking cups.

In a medium combine and whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, add the eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, olive oil, milk and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. 

Add the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture and stir until just combined. Spoon batter into lined muffin cups, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Place two cherries on top, they may sink into the cupcake, not to worry. 

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack. There may be a bit of extra batter just repeat baking in lined muffin cups until all the batter is used up.

Once cupcakes are cool. Sprinkle with icing sugar and grated dark chocolate, and gently pierce the top with a piece of dark chocolate. We seemed to have an abundance of Terry's Chocolate Orange Dark in our house so I used those, gently inserting the thin side down of the wedge into the top of the cupcake.   

Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing

After a fairly busy week it was nice to spend time in the kitchen relaxing and making these cupcakes. The decorating was done by the kidlets as I took a more hands off approach... well I did manage to decorate 1 cupcake. I did the prep and clean up while they just got on with the creative bit. Bloodied candy eyeballs were the focal point and a dollop of mystical purple buttercream icing to aid a spooky feeling. It was good to get a head start on some Halloween fun. The chocolate cupcake itself is spongy and dense. While the buttercream icing is fluffy. Both recipes are simple and can be whipped up very easily. How you decorate them depends on your mood and who is helping.  

Chocolate Cupcakes

--------------------------------------------------------

1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder

1 cup hot water

1 2/3 cups of cake and pastry flour

1 1/2 cups coconut sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup applesauce

2 eggs

Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF and line a muffin tin with cupcake papers (paper baking cups).

In a medium bowl mix the cocoa powder and water together. Blend until smooth. Then set aside to cool a bit.

In a large bowl blend the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the applesauce and the cooled cocoa mixture. With a handheld mixer on medium speed beat for about 2 minutes; all the while scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl constantly. 

Add the eggs and beat for another 2 minutes; again, scraping the sides and the bottom of the bowl. The batter is quite runny so not to worry.  

Pour into the baking cups... about 1/2 full and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. When done remove from oven and muffin tin and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cool decorate as desired.

Notes: Ovens and temperatures vary, the cupcakes that I made baked for 15 minutes.

Buttercream Icing 

------------------------------------------------

1 cup of butter, softened

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

4 cups of icing (confectioners') sugar

3 tablespoons of milk

food colouring of your choice, optional

In a large bowl beat the butter and vanilla together. Blend in the icing sugar 2 cups at a time. Beating very well after both additions. Beat in the milk and continue to mix until light and fluffy. Then add the food colouring of choice; adding small amounts at a time until the desired colour is achieved and blend together with a stain proof spoon. 

Notes: to make a chocolate buttercream icing add 3/4 cup of cocoa powder and about 1 to 2 more tablespoons of milk. The food colouring I used had more of a thick, paste like consistency and came in a pot; I found I prefer this texture of food colouring as there are more colour options and it doesn't interrupt the consistency of the recipe to which you are adding it to. 

For effect, a glacé cherry was sliced down the middle, but not all the way through, to fan or open the cherry up and then a candied eyeball was placed on top. 

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. - JD 

Gluten - Free Cupcakes

I only have a few gluten free cookbooks due to the fact that myself nor anyone in my household does not have that specific food allergy. However, I collect cookbooks and if a gluten free or vegan recipe tastes good then I would not shy away from making it. Cupcakes still reign supreme and are a favourite amongst the masses. There are 3... if not 4 cupcake shops all within a block or two of each other where I live.  


The author loves cupcakes. Finding out she had a food allergy changed her love affair of the cupcake. That was 1998 and much has changed in the culinary world in regards to specific needs and food allergies. There are plenty cookbooks targeting certain ways of cooking and baking. Most of the recipes are made with almond and coconut flour. Which are easy to find.

When we think of cupcakes  we often think of the ones with mile high cream icing and exotic flavours. In this cookbook there are sweet and savoury cupcakes however the author admits to calling the savoury ones, muffins. There are sweetness ratings ranging from low to medium to high. There are plenty of gluten - free and vegan choices throughout the 104 pages. 

I am steering clear of the Pumpkin cupcakes and thought I would share a more savoury recipe. Also the holidays are coming and there will be no shortage of sweets. Therefore the Orange Rosemary Cupcakes would be a nice addition to brunch or dinner and with an afternoon cup of tea. 

Orange Rosemary Cupcakes
---------------------------------------------------
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup blanched almond flour 
1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 tablespoons firmly packed orange zest
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the coconut flour, almond flour, salt, and baking soda.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, grapes oil, agave nectar, and orange zest. Blend the wet ingredients into the coconut flour mixture with a handheld mixer until throughly combined, then stir in the rosemary. 

Scoop 1/4 cup of the batter into each prepared muffin cup.

Bake for 18 - 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 1 hour, then serve. 


Hope everyone is having a good week so far. Weather wise ...it is -6, which is warm... well sort of. It is warmer than this past weekend, -28, and that is a positive. - JW 

Avocado Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

I diligently made these cupcakes this morning. I was very curious to see and mostly to taste, if using avocado in replace of butter was going to make that much of a difference. I can honestly say it does not. The batter... yes I had to sneak a taste because to me that is the true test. What the batter tastes like is a precurser to the end result. Remember licking the beaters, the wooden spoon and running your finger along the inside of the mixing bowl as a child? If there was baking to be done and when all was said and done then there certainly were beaters to be licked! 

The recipe came from Avocado Central. It is a great website that has many recipes dedicated to avocados. I urge you to give this recipe if for nothing else other than to see how easily avocados may replace butter. For this recipe, Avocado Red Velvet Cupcakes click *here*  They taste virtually the same as if made with butter or oil. 

This is what they looked like when they came out of the oven. A lovely reddy brown colour and spongy cake like texture.

All dressed up and ready to be eaten. I did not make the Honey Avocado Icing as suggested instead I made a Cream Cheese one.

Surprise dessert time! I am sure these will be gobbled up in no time. As I did with mine. 

- JW