Wednesday was Jim's birthday. Time for cake! Except that a few years ago, we figured out that a whole cake was too much for us to eat. We love sugar, but in smaller doses, please. Our new tradition is to halve the cake recipe and make cupcakes.
Another tradition for me when baking cakes is to replace each teaspoon of vanilla with a tablespoon of liqueur. Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) is terrific in most desserts. This time, I used Kahlua in the cupcakes and crème de cocoa in the icing.
Update 6/30/2011: My son Tyler's birthday was this month, so I made them again. So, I'm entering them in this month's House Favorites.
Chocolate Cupcakes
Adapted from The Grit Cookbook. You can find the recipe for this as a 3 layer cake on VegPeople.
UPDATE 9/17/2012: These are very tender cupcakes with a tendency to fall apart, so don't forget the cupcake liners. If making as a cake - as written, this will make a 9-inch round, single-layer cake - line the pan with a piece of wax paper and oil and flour it, including the paper and up the sides. (Also, and this is just a note to myself, don't forget the birthday candles!)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unbleached sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons Kahlua or 2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup cold coffee
4 teaspoons cider vinegar (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon)
Preheat oven to 375 F. Put 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.
In the bowl of your mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, soda and salt. Add the canola oil and blend on low. Add the Kahlua or vanilla and then raise the speed of the mixer to medium. Slowly add the coffee. Then add the vinegar and mix until batter is just blended.
Divide batter among the 12 cups. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of several of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Cream Cheese White Chocolate Icing
Adapted from Simply Recipes. My version is more of a glaze than a frosting. You'll have leftover icing; I suggest dipping strawberries in it.
4 ounces (1/2 a package) Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
4 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine
1 tablespoon Cream De Cocoa
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (i.e. powdered evaporated cane juice)
Blend all ingredients until well-combined. Refrigerate until firm enough to ice cupcakes.
Another tradition for me when baking cakes is to replace each teaspoon of vanilla with a tablespoon of liqueur. Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) is terrific in most desserts. This time, I used Kahlua in the cupcakes and crème de cocoa in the icing.
Update 6/30/2011: My son Tyler's birthday was this month, so I made them again. So, I'm entering them in this month's House Favorites.
Chocolate Cupcakes
Adapted from The Grit Cookbook. You can find the recipe for this as a 3 layer cake on VegPeople.
UPDATE 9/17/2012: These are very tender cupcakes with a tendency to fall apart, so don't forget the cupcake liners. If making as a cake - as written, this will make a 9-inch round, single-layer cake - line the pan with a piece of wax paper and oil and flour it, including the paper and up the sides. (Also, and this is just a note to myself, don't forget the birthday candles!)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unbleached sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons Kahlua or 2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup cold coffee
4 teaspoons cider vinegar (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon)
Preheat oven to 375 F. Put 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.
In the bowl of your mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, soda and salt. Add the canola oil and blend on low. Add the Kahlua or vanilla and then raise the speed of the mixer to medium. Slowly add the coffee. Then add the vinegar and mix until batter is just blended.
Divide batter among the 12 cups. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of several of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Cream Cheese White Chocolate Icing
Adapted from Simply Recipes. My version is more of a glaze than a frosting. You'll have leftover icing; I suggest dipping strawberries in it.
4 ounces (1/2 a package) Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
4 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine
1 tablespoon Cream De Cocoa
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (i.e. powdered evaporated cane juice)
Blend all ingredients until well-combined. Refrigerate until firm enough to ice cupcakes.
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