The first time I saw this recipe was on Junior Masterchef last year. The young cooks were challenged to create Donna Hay's chocolate layer cake. The cake looked so fudgey and scrumptious I stashed the recipe away for a rainy day. That day came along a few weeks ago but instead of making the layer cake I turned the glorious chocolate batter into chocolate cupcakes. The recipe is quite simple making it a good go-to recipe. It uses cocoa for the flavouring so it's best to use the good quality stuff.
Just a few kitchen staples are used to make this chocolate delight.
The recipe says to melt the butter together with the water and cocoa in a saucepan. I took the lazy route and melted the butter in the microwave then mixed it together with the hot water and cocoa. Add this mixture to the flour, bicarbonate and sugar and whisk it all together.
Add the buttermilk, egg and vanilla and gently whisk them into the batter.
It's quite a runny batter.
Divide the batter between the cupcake cases and fill them about ⅔ of the way. Bake the cupcakes at 160C fan-forced for 15-20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
Mmm... chocolate cake.
Transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
Ice the cupcakes with your favourite chocolate icing. I would share my recipe but I made it up. It's a combination of buttercream and ganache. Enjoy!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup 250ml water
- 125 g ½ cup butter, chopped
- ⅓ cup 35g cocoa
- 2 cups 300g plain AP flour
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 2 cups 440g caster (superfine) sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup 125ml buttermilk (or the same amount of milk with a little lemon juice)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C(320F) fan-forced.
- Melt the butter in the microwave in short bursts then place it, the hot water and the cocoa in a small bowl and mix them together.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, bicarbonate of soda and sugar and pour over the chocolatey mixture. Whisk it all together then add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and whisk them through.
- Fill the cupcake pans ⅔ of the way with the batter. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
- Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.
- Ice with your favourite chocolate icing.
Stacey says
OMG I just made these for my sons first birthday, they are fantastic!!
So simple to make. Lovely & moist.
I also used cute Robert Gordon carnival cases but I overfilled some & it turned into a choc molten mess - but still tasty!
I am about to decorate them choc icing & coloured sprinkles!
Thanks for the post :-)
Claire says
Yay Stacey I'm so glad you liked them! Happy 1st Birthday to your little boy!
Khadija Muzaffar says
OMG wow. I'm 17 and I'm from Pakistan, which is all the way in Asia, and I'm in love with those cupcakes of yours! Btw how exactly did you make the icing? We used just ganache, instead of buttermilk and ganache, but I'd like to know how that brilliant glossy icing is made :)
And I LOVEEE the cupcake liners. I'm gonna have to look hard for them, or maybe I'll order them online =P
Claire says
Thanks so much and how wonderful that you're making them all the way over in Pakistan! My icing is just a combination of icing sugar and water. You can also use one egg white, beat it until frothy and then beat in 1 cup of icing sugar and a little lemon juice. It will set nice and hard and glossy.
Amrita says
I love your cupcake cases! Where on earth did you get them from? I think I'll make some of those at home.
P.S.:- I know I'm ignoring to mention the chocolate-ness of the cupcakes but I'm drooling here. You just can't see that's all. Also, Donna Hay rocks at fudgy cakes. I once made her one-bowl chocolate dessert cake for my friends and I have a sneaky suspicion that all the men present at the party fell in love with me that day ;-D and the women were too busy eating to notice.
Claire says
Haha I can picture it at least! Looks like you're on to a winner with that recipe.
I don't know where I got the cupcake cases but you can find them in kitchen shops. Here's a link to somewhere you can get them online.
http://www.thepetitepartycompany.com.au/p/1137420/cupcake-cups-light-blue-spot-by-robert-gordon-50-per-pack.html
Rikki says
These are so beautiful! I love the blue sprinkles and cups with the chocolate.
Claire says
Thanks Rikki!The sprinkles went rather well with the cupcake cases didn't they?
Piano Grand says
With such very cute Chocolate cupcakes, I’m very sure that my kids will have fun munching them. I can’t wait trying it as soon as possible. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Melanie Jumbo says
This is so chocolate-y! My kids saw this recipe and they ask me to bake this as soon as possible. LOL. They are very excited to put the cupcake on their mouth.
Inspired2cook says
Super cute cupcakes...and chocolate is my favorite!
celia says
So cute! I love those Robert Gordon wrappers as well! Looks like a lovely chocolatey treat, Claire..
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
OOh I love the ribbony texture of the icing and the sprinkles. And aren't those cupcake liners the cutest? :)
Claire says
I have so many of them in my pantry. I think friands will be next.
Sarah Austin says
Yum! I want one now x