Saturday, April 23, 2011

Baking for Nightshift- Chocolate and Raspberry Brownie Cupcakes



Last night at work I organised a wee feast for the fact that we were all working Good Friday night shift. It was fantastic and I think we really went around the world with the food we had. Aside from all the sweet stuff we had amazing Pakora with a yoghurt sauce made by Vanita (India); Herra's incredible Roti and tuna and potato curry (Fiji); Jonette's to-die-for baklava (Middle East); my all time favourite Pansit (Phillipines); Spinach and Feta in Filo (Greece); as well as yummy pretty cupcakes made by Adelle; Michelle's chocolate slice; and the usual chips, crackers and hummus etc etc etc. 


I made a big three layered chocolate cake from a recipe in my new book called 'Sky High Cakes'. The cake itself had mayonnaise in it which did give it a light crumb. But the inside was a white chocolate mousse which even though it tasted delicious, was really too airy and light for the layers to then be piled on top. It did not look pretty as the mousse squished out the sides making it quite difficult to ice it with the sour cream chocolate icing. While I might make the components again it wouldn't be in the form of this cake in its entirety. I didn't even photograph it as it just didn't measure up on the looks scale. It did, however taste really good. It was a lot like a dessert cake and the mousse made the cake really moist. Having said that I could barely eat anything sweet as after being in the kitchen so much that day I was sugared out!


After I made the cake I began to worry that it might not work out so at the last minute I made these cupcakes and frosted them with the leftover icing from the cake before Eastering them up with some little eggs. This recipe is from my new Tamara Jane cookbook called 'Celebration Cupcakes'. I have raved about her books before and these cupcakes did not disappoint. They were very very easy to make and tasted lovely...especially with the raspberries in the mix. The texture, while not a dense one, was different to that of a normal cupcakes but I guess thats where the brownie bit comes into the mix. I only made half the mix and got 18 cupcakes out of it. Anyway Happy Easter Egg Easting everyone!


Chocolate and Raspberry Brownie Cupcakes


300g flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
220g butter
300g dark chocolate, chopped
600g sugar
6 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
300g raspberries (I used frozen)


Oven to 180 C. Line tins with cupcake liners.


Mix the flour and baking powder together.


Melt the butter and chocolate together until smooth. Using beaters mix in the sugar and then add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla.


Add in half the flour mix and beat until combined on low speed. Add the remaining flour and stir by hand. Stir in the raspberries. 


Fill the tins about 2/3 full and bake about 20 mins or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.


Cool out of the tins completely.


Ice with chocolate icing or a ganache.

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