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Over the years, I’ve tried different sourdough bread recipes, but I seem to be always coming back to this one. I like that it’s a relatively simple recipe, so even if you are a beginner you can follow the recipe with good results.
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Soda bread is one of the easiest bread recipes you can make. Even if you are a beginner and you've never made bread before you can bake this recipe! Trust me!
My bread baking course's students are always surprised how easy this soda bread recipe is and laugh when I tell, them that they need to pretty much forget what I've just told them about baking yeasted bread! None of the rules apply here!
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This recipe is very popular at Christmas, but I tend to make it any time I want something slightly different than just traditional chocolate truffles. The addition of cake crumbs in this rum truffle recipe is just genius, and it makes these ever so slightly addictive.
You can easily swap a normal sponge cake for a gluten-free one to create truffles suitable for people with gluten sensitivity. You can also use a chocolate cake instead of Madeira cake for extra chocolate taste.
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This is really nice and easy chocolate cupcake recipe, which is also quick to bake. I've never had any major disasters with this recipe and the chocolate flavour is amazing, especially in the chocolate frosting.
As always, the better the ingredients the better the flavour and the final result is going to be. Saying that, there are few tricks which you can use with this recipe, such as to add a coffee paste (one teaspoon of instant coffee granules with dash of hot water - just enough to make it into a paste) to the chocolate cupcakes batter.<blog_break>
The coffee just helps to bring out the chocolate flavour more. Another trick is to add a half a pinch of salt to the frosting. It amazingly balances the sweetness and again works great with the chocolate. It won't taste salty and it can make a real difference between frosting that's just O.K to the most amazing chocolate frosting you've ever tasted.
If you find the chocolate frosting too rich you can always swap the milk with water or use 50% water and 50% milk. It still works great and it makes the frosting slightly lighter.
100g plain flour
20 g cocoa powder
140g caster sugar
1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder
40g unsalted butter
120ml whole milk
1 egg
A pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract
Chocolate Frosting
250g icing sugar
80g unsalted butter
25ml whole milk
50g melted plain chocolate or cocoa powder
Makes 12 chocolate cupcakes
First of all, preheat the oven to 170 C (Gas 3). Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cocoa and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
Gradually pour in half the milk and beat until the milk is just incorporated. Whisk the egg and remaining milk together in a separate bowl for a few seconds, then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with rubber spatula). Continue mixing for a couple of more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not over mix.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until light golden and the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the chocolate frosting on top and decorate.
To make the chocolate frosting beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Turn the mixer down to slow speed. This can be fairly tricky as the icing sugar will go everywhere, so I normally use clean teatowel loosely wrapped around the bowl (or on top) of my handheld whisk.
Combine the milk and chocolate in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture a couple of tablespoons at a time.
Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed. Continue beating until the chocolate frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes.
These chocolate cupcakes are always a big hit with my friends, so I'm sure you'll enjoy them too! If you bake your batch using my chocolate cupcake recipe, do let me know how you get on in the comments below.
Happy Baking!
Magdalena
MY OTHER CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPES
Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe >>
Easy Chocolate Brownie Recipe >>
Chocolate Buttermilk Cake Recipe >>
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This is my favourite double chocolate chip cookies recipe that you can have ready literary in minutes. It's really easy to make, freezes well and it perfect for little treats, presents or afternoon sugar level dip!
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This Apple & Cinnamon Muffins Recipe is on a healthy side, which is not a bad thing, since I'm going to suggest that you can eat these muffins for breakfast. Obviously not every day, but certainly on lazy Saturday with a large mug of coffee.
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This is one of the easiest raw chocolate recipes to make, involving only three basic ingredients - cacao butter, cocoa powder and natural sweetener.
Whilst the recipe is simple and easy to make, the ingredients are not always easy to find. You need to visit your local health food shop to find them or explore the wonderful world of internet to get exactly what you need.
The taste and quality of the final chocolate bar depends on the quality of the ingredients you use. So, of course you could use non raw ingredients, such as normal baking cocoa powder and swap the cacao butter for coconut oil or normal butter. Pretty much anything goes, but if you want to make a raw chocolate, you have to start with pure raw ingredients as they are produced very differently to the normal cocoa powders and butters.
It's probably easier to get hold off liquid sweetener than powdered raw sugar, but bear in mind that once you introduce liquid into the chocolate mixture is starts to behave very different and it's difficult to temper. But no matter, what you use, you'll always end up with delicious version of your own chocolate!
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I'm always interested to learn more about how to make things different and always curious about new recipes. This vegan chocolate icing is currently my favourite one! Very simple to make, taste delicious and keeps in the fridge for few days. Obviously it's perfect for vegan diets, but since it's also dairy free, it's suitable for anyone who is trying to cut out dairy from their diets. I've included few different versions of this recipe, since all of them have slightly different taste and will suit different styles of your chocolate cakes. Also if you are sensitive to soya, avoid the first recipe.
There are few little tricks to make any vegan chocolate icing absolutely delicious.
First of all if you'd like to enhance the flavour of chocolate in your chocolate icing, use about 1/2 teaspoon (or more if you are making a large batch of icing) of granulated instant coffee (decaf if the icing is for children). dissolve in a tiny amount of boiling or hot water and blend into your icing. The chocolate icing won't taste like a coffee, instead the coffee intensifies the chocolate flavour.
