Grown
Grown
Grown-up mocha cupcakes with a coffee-flavored cake base, paired with mocha cream frosting.
Ingredients
self-raising flour
85 g / 3 oz / 3/4 cup
cocoa powder
4 tbsp
caster sugar
110 g / 4 oz / 1/2 cup
margarine (softened)
110 g / 4 oz / 1/2 cup
baking powder
1 tsp
instant coffee granules (dissolved in 2 tsp boiling water)
2 tbsp
free-range eggs
2 large
chocolate coffee beans (optional)
25 g / 1 oz
gold dragees (optional, to decorate)
unsalted butter (softened)
110 g / 4 oz / 1/2 cup
icing sugar
225 g / 8 oz / 1 1/2 cups
cocoa powder for buttercream
1 tbsp
instant coffee for buttercream (dissolved in 2 tsp boiling water)
1 tbsp
Instructions
1
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas mark 3. Line a 12-hole muffin tin (pan) with cupcake cases (baking cups).
2
Step 2
Sift the flour, cocoa and sugar into a mixing bowl, food processor or mixer. Add the margarine, baking powder, dissolved coffee and eggs, and beat well until the mixture (batter) is light and fluffy. (If you want to add a real coffee feature, chuck in a small handful of chocolate coffee beans and fold them in.) Spoon the mixture into the prepared cases, and bake in the oven for around 20 minutes until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
3
Step 3
To make the buttercream, put the butter in a bowl, sift the icing sugar and cocoa over the top, and beat away. Add the dissolved coffee and beat again. If the mixture is too wet, add a bit more sifted icing sugar. Bit dry? Add a tiny bit more boiling water.
4
Step 4
Place a piping (decorating) bag with a star nozzle (tube) in a beaker, and fill the bag with the icing. Pipe huge, generous swirls onto the cakes, and dot with gold dragees, if you so wish.
