Tender Loving Care: Chocolate Cupcake

Friday, September 23, 2011

Yummiest Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free Choc-chip Cupcakes

These are the yummiest Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free Choc-chip Cupcakes...

(sugar flowers - I bought & its
not egg-free but it does make it
so much prettier don't you think?)

(or so I've been told, admittedly, I haven't had a chance to try them just yet... since I'm in a desperate attempt to lose some kilos! LOL! They sure smelt beautiful though... the many parents at Mainly Music have told me that they were the yummiest & they could not believe that it did not have any egg in it... *hehe*)

Morning Tea & Birthday Surprise at Mainly Music: 23-Sep-2011

Blessed Birthday Sharon & Lisa... :-) Hope you thoroughly enjoyed the indulgence... :-D

Recipe for cupcakes adapted from:
http://allrecipes.com.au/recipe/4534/egg-free-chocolate-cake.aspx

Recipe for chocolate ganache adapted from:
http://www.sewinlove.com.au/2010/06/19/krishnas-chocolate-cupcakes-egg-free-but-delicious/

serves: approx 36 (depending on the size of your cupcakes of course, I made small ones, not tiny but small)

Ingredients:
655g sifted plain flour
120g dark cocoa (Mine is Homebrand from Safeway but found in section with coffee)
3 tsp bicarb soda

(Reese's peanut butter cup
additional - not nut-free)

1 tsp baking powder
660g raw caster sugar
4 - 8 tbsp dark chocolate chips (I think I added about 6-7 tbsp)

250ml vegetable oil (I used rice oil)
700ml water
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp vinegar

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 170C & line muffin tray with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift all dry ingredients together (flour, cocoa, bicarb soda, baking powder). Add sugar & choc chips and mix all dry ingredients thoroughly.
3. Mix all wet ingredients (oil, water, vanilla essence, vinegar) together.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
5. Pour into cupcake liners. Fill till about 2/3 full.
6. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 mins - 25 mins or until skewer inserted in centre of cupcake comes out clean.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Buttercream frosting (optional, but note, this is not dairy-free)
Ingredients:
250ml whipping heavy cream
400g dark eating chocolate (eg. Lindt 70% Cacao, I used Cadbury Old Gold Dark Chocolate - original)

250g unsalted butter (optional, but I added this as the ganache was not holding its shape, perhaps too much cream)

Method:
1. Coarsely chop dark chocolate into small pieces.
2. Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan.
3. Remove from heat when bubbles subside and add chocolate, stir until smooth. Leave to cool.
4. Cream butter until light. Add chocolate & cream mixture in and beat until well combined.
5. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Note: If chocolate ganache buttercream is not holding its shape, refrigerate for a while until buttercream is firmer, then try piping again.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Farewell Dinner...

Farewell Dinner: 20-May-2011

I found this cake idea & wanted to try to reproduce it... & here this is the result, my version of it anyway (which is pretty close, I think... don't you... *hehe*)

Baked this cake to share with the lovely ladies (& hubbies who came too) of the FGA ladies' group who attended the farewell dinner for Aunty Breda & Uncle Koo...

We will miss you both greatly! Come back for visits soon!

I baked chocolate cupcakes and the Asian cotton soft cheesecake as the cake in the middle. Both the cupcakes and the cheesecake was covered in Vanilla Butter Cream Cheese Frosting that was absolutely yum... (btw, the chocolate version of this frosting placed ontop of the chocolate cupcakes will be the best ever combination!!)

The farewell dinner was held at Ma Brown Restaurant. Details as follows:

Ma Brown Restaurant

Shop 6, 188-190 Belmore Rd,

Balwyn 3103.

Tel: 9816 3755.

Cutting the cake...

We had a great time there. The company was great & the food was EXCELLENT! It isn't a big restaurant and can get awfully crowded so it would be good to call & make a booking if you wanted to dine there. Just a word of caution, they do try their best but they are rather understaffed so many times you'd need to help yourself to things like tea refills, etc. It is best to book & pre-order your dishes as well as they will take awhile to attend to you when the restaurant gets super busy. Their signature dish is the spicy quails which I've been told you'll have to order at least 3 days in advance but it was totally YUMMY!