Hello, remember me?
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Apologies for my disappearance. I did absolutely no baking last month (I know, I'm as shocked as you). Life and lack of internet connection for 3 weeks (thanks BT) left me feeling too tired to bake or blog.
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Apologies for my disappearance. I did absolutely no baking last month (I know, I'm as shocked as you). Life and lack of internet connection for 3 weeks (thanks BT) left me feeling too tired to bake or blog.
Does anyone else feel a weird sense of responsibility to their blog in terms of maintaining standards and keeping an "online presence"? I know it's largely self imposed, as we can do whatever we want within our own blogspaces, but I felt really guilty for not updating or replying/commenting on other blogs. I've also been aware for a while that I should make a few little changes here, but the thought of doing anything extra makes me want to stick my head in a bucket full of sand as there are so many other things I need to be getting on with at the moment.
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However I am back, with cupcakes (yay!), and have been gradually catching up with everything online over the last week. I had forgotten how good chocolate sponge batter tastes. It's the best! The mixture uses cocoa powder as opposed to real chocolate, but it still produces a cupcake with a satisfying chocolatey punch.
However I am back, with cupcakes (yay!), and have been gradually catching up with everything online over the last week. I had forgotten how good chocolate sponge batter tastes. It's the best! The mixture uses cocoa powder as opposed to real chocolate, but it still produces a cupcake with a satisfying chocolatey punch.
I baked these last week as I wanted to try out my new(ish) Lakeland cupcakes cases and show off my new cake stand which matches one of my sets of china. I don't think it's an exact match as the cups and saucers are fine bone china whereas the cake stand plates are quite chunky, but it's close enough to be pretty and only cost a fiver.
I'm very impressed with the cupcake cases. They kept their colour and pattern really well, and that's with a chocolate batter! You know you're a little sad when you're impressed with the standard of cupcake cases, but it's so annoying to find a pretty case only to discover the pattern disappears or the colours go transparent once baked. Anyone else find that disappointing?
Chocolate cupcakes
175g Stork margarine
150g caster sugar
25g soft light brown sugar (I fancied adding a bit of brown sugar, might put more in next time. As long as the overall sugar weight is 175g)
3 eggs (weighing roughly 175g)
150g self-raising flour
25g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4 and line cupcakes tin with cases. Beat margarine and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder in a separate bowl. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture, lightly beating between each addition, adding a tablespoon of the flour mixture with the last egg to prevent the mixture curdling. Mix in the remaining flour, vanilla extract and milk until the mixture is fully combined. Be careful not to overmix though as you don't want to beat all the air out the mixture, just make sure it no longer looks streaky with cocoa powder.
Fill the cupcake cases 2/3 full. The mixture should stretch to roughly 15 cupcakes. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Fill the cupcake cases 2/3 full. The mixture should stretch to roughly 15 cupcakes. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
For the icing I followed the Hummingbird Bakery's chocolate buttercream and piped as swirls (working from the centre outwards) using a Wilton 1M nozzle.