Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Some Days Are Made For...


...cupcakes!

What's great is that everyone loves a cupcake (or two!). Bake some and frost them any how you like it and finish it off with additional topping of your choice. It's all so versatile and easy to handle. And of course, they're really really fun to make! I especially enjoy and love the decoration part of it.

These lovely moist chocolate cupcakes with delicious strawberry frosting were actually made over two months ago for my co-workers for a little tea time treat we had in the office. So this is actually my long overdue recipe post.

The cake here is an old recipe of moist chocolate cake I found hand-written in my old trusty recipe notebook. I made it into cupcakes and instead of using plain vanilla butter cream for frosting, I decided to give it a strawberry twist instead. I pureed about 2 cups of fresh strawberries and then strained out the juice before mixing in with the butter cream. And the result was....delicious!! It really made a difference to the normal butter cream. One can't argue that chocolate and strawberry make oh such a wonderful pairing!


Chocolate cupcake:

180 g butter
340 g caster sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp instant coffee granules, dissolve this with 1 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp brandy
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup water

Sieve together:
240 g plain flour
75 g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

~ Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy, and then add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well in between.
~ Combine brandy, vanilla, dissolved coffee granules and the hot water together, stirring it well.
~ Fold in flour mixture alternately with the coffee liquid to the creamed butter, sugar and egg mixture. Mix well in between flour and liquid.
~ Mix everything well together. Fill up to a maximum 3/4 full in each cupcake liner/case that is fitted in a muffin pan. Bake at 150 deg C for around 40 minutes (depending on your oven) or until an inserted cake tester comes out clean.
~ Cool the cupcakes completely before icing them.




Strawberry butter cream:

2 cups fresh strawberries
2/3 cup butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted icing sugar

~ In a mini blender or food processor, puree the strawberries. Strain/squeeze (can use a muslin cloth) out excess juice (it need not be too dry, just as long as the excess juice is rid off)
~ Cream the butter, shortening, and icing sugar till fluffy. Add in the blended strawberry. Mix really well.
~ Fill up a piping bag with large star nozzle and pipe out a circular swirl on each cupcake. Topped with half of a fresh strawberry for a more luscious and tempting look.

(Add more icing sugar for a stiffer frosting if you prefer)


Enjoy.

14 comments:

  1. Yes, you are right! Some days are just made for cupcakes...and they make you smile anyway! These are beautiful and how special we get your hand written tried and true recipe! Thanks for sharing it.

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  2. Hi Nyonya, I love this cupcakes! They're so beautiful....too good to eat....
    But going to be a problem eat this one spoon in mouth, sure will want more.
    I think 4 pieces, with iced coffee will do me fine.

    How are you? Hope this finds you well.
    Have a great weekend, stay young and keep a song in your heart.
    Lee.

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  3. Hi from Greece, lovely cupcakes and very yummy!!!
    If you want, come for a visit.-:)))
    Tantekiki.blogspot.com

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  4. Those are simply lovely! They would be fabulous for a little tea party. I wish I could take one out of my computer screen!
    *kisses* HH

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  5. Your cupcakes looks so beautiful! The strawberry butter cream is a brilliant idea! Otak geliga, just like Nyonya Pendek Chwee! :)

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  6. Hi Nyonya, how you doin? Hey....you in Singapore, right?
    If free drop by see what Singapore women tell husbands or lovers, ha ha.
    Best wishes.
    Lee.

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  7. Those cupcakes will win a competition anytime! You have succeeded in feeding the eyes before the mouth. Good job!

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  8. This cupcakes look so cute and will be so much fun to make this. Look so much yummy than the one sells at shops.

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  9. love ur space..
    Am your happy follower now..:)
    Do stop by mine sometime..
    Tasty Appetite

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  10. Hi Nyonya, could you please send me an email again? My computer crashed and I lost all my email contacts.. :-(

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  11. Yum! Those little cupcakes look great!

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