Electric City Cupcakes
#MegaMegaWatts
INGREDIENTS
Strawberry Vanilla Cake
215g flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
132g sugar
187ml milk
65ml oil
60g butter
1tbsp yogurt
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp strawberry essence (or whichever flavour you like)
2 drops pink food gel
Chocolate sauce
Chocolate Batter
50g cocoa powder
175g all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
225g caster sugar
175g unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
175ml milk
Chocolate Ganache
200g dark cooking chocolate
100ml thickened cream
Chocolate Spheres
200g pink chocolate melts + 2 tbsp melted coconut or vegetable oil + 2 drops pink food gel
200g white chocolate melts + 2 tbsp melted coconut or vegetable oil
300g dark chocolate
Salted caramel candy or any kind of rock looking candy you like.
Frosting
1 batch chocolate buttercream frosting
½ cup cocoa powder
METHOD
Makes 12
Level: Medium
Strawberry Vanilla Cake
Preheat a fan-forced oven to 160C (320F) or 180C (356F) for a conventional oven. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, baking powder, caster sugar and salt. Turn mixer on low speed and allow it to mix for a couple minutes to help everything combine well (alternatively you may do this by sifting the ingredients together). Add the softened butter and let it mix until it resembles a fine sand like texture.
Next, add milk, eggs, yogurt, oil and vanilla extract in a large jug and whisk well.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in a slow and steady stream until no dry ingredients are visible. Scrape down the bowl and mix for another 20 seconds.
Chocolate Batter
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cocoa powder, plain flour, salt, bicarb soda and sugar. Turn mixer on low speed and allow it to mix for a couple minutes to help everything combine well!(alternatively you may do this by sifting the ingredients together). Add the softened butter there is no butter visible and it’s well incorporated into the dry.
Next, add milk and eggs in a jug and whisk until well combined.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in a slow and steady stream until no dry ingredients are visible. Scrape down the bowl and mix for another 20 seconds.
Dip a fork into the pink batter and drizzle on the inside of each cupcake liner.
Fill each paper 3/4 of the way (using an ice cream scoop to transfer the batter into the cupcake liners makes this a quick and easy process otherwise you can use two tablespoons). Bake for 20-25 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.
Chocolate ganache
Combine chocolate and cream into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 20 seconds at a time, mixing each time until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag.
Chocolate Spheres
To make the chocolate spheres melt the three chocolates. Add coconut oil to the pink and add food gel. Mix until well combined. Melt the dark and white chocolate as well. Add coconut oil to the white and mix until well combined. Dip a teaspoon into the pink choc and drizzle all over the mould. Repeat with the white. Chill for 5-10 min.
Add about a tbsp of dark chocolate into each cavity of the sphere mould. Use the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate up to the top of the mould. Then turn the mold upside down onto a baking tray and let the excess chocolate drizzle out. Chill for 20 min.
Fill each mould with chocolate ganache, just below the top and add candy. Let it chill for 1 hour. To put molds together gently and slightly melt the bottom of one half sphere and add it to another half to help glue them together. Don’t melt away too much chocolate. As soon as some of the chocolate melts take it away from the heat and put them together. Let them chill until they’ve set.
Core the centre of each cupcake and fill with chocolate sauce. Fit the end of a piping bag and frost a low swirl of frosting. Dip into some cocoa powder and use the cocoa to help shape the frosting into a dome. Drizzle with some melted pink chocolate and gently stick chocolate sphere on top.
STORAGE: store in an airtight container for up to 3 days (refrigerated or unrefrigerated).
CAKE: Recipe can be used for one 8” cake tin - adjust baking time to 30-40 min and bake on 180C
EQUIPMENT: Can be made using a hand mixer (always mix on lowest speed) or a hand whisk. Take care not to over mix the batter.
OVEN TEMPERATURE: If you’re baking at home set your fan forced oven to 160C (320F).
BAKING TIME: These cupcakes typically bake on a lower temp and for a little longer than regular cupcake recipes. That’s what helps get that gorgeous even dome shape on top. The cupcakes don’t dry out. Bake your cupcakes for 20 min. If you insert a skewer and it comes out with wet batter, bake for an extra 5 min until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with moist crumbs.
TOOLS:
Large mixing bowls
Spatula
Magic Whisk for wet ingredients
Kitchen Scales
Stand mixer (or hand mixer)
Wire rack
Frosting bag
Tablespoon
Measuring spoons
Cupcake baking tin
Paper liners
Ice cream scoop (optional)
Small sphere moulds: Martellato Polycarbonate Chocolate Mold Half-Sphere 50mm, 8 Cavities