In His Kiss Cupcakes
#IfYouWannKnowIfHeLovesYouSo...
INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes
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
175ml milk
1 tbsp food safe activated charcoal
Chocolate shards
300g Wilton Black Choc Melts (melted)
edible black shimmer
Frosting
1 batch chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream frosting
1 tbsp food safe activated charcoal
METHOD
Makes 12
Level: medium
Chocolate Shards
Add the choc melts into a microwave safe bowl and melt in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time until completely melted and smooth.
Pour on to a sheet of acetate and use a large off set spatula to spread out evenly. Allow to set at room temp.
Brush with edible black shimmer using a food safe pain brush. Use a large knife to cut the chocolate into diamonds.
Chill in the fridge for 1 hour before taking the diamond shards apart.
Frosting
Combine frosting and charcoal together using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Mix until really well combined. Make sure you scrape the bowl down at least once.
Cupcakes
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 cocoa powder, activated charcoal, 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.
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 30 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.
Fit the end of a piping bag with a Wilton 8B piping tip and frost a swirl of the black chocolate frosting on each cupcake before you arrange the shards into a V shape on the frosting.
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HELPFUL TIPS!
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 will typically bake on a lower temp and for a little longer than regular cupcake recipes. I find a low temperate and a slow bake results in flatter tops and no caramelisation so that if the cupcakes are coloured they don’t change colour and brown. After 30 minutes, stick a skewer into the centre of one of the cupcakes, if it comes out with wet batter, bake for another 10 minutes until the skewer comes out with crumbs or completely clean.
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)