Chocolate and Ginger Cupcakes

Rich and chocolatey and warm and spicy, with plenty of soft icing, these are a delicious tea time treat.

Equipment -
2 x muffin tins, lined with 14 - 16 paper cases
Electric whisk
Sugar thermometer

Ingredients -
Sponge -
70g butter, softened
170g plain flour
250g caster sugar
50g cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
210ml whole milk
2 large, free range eggs
4 balls stem ginger, finely chopped

Icing -
170g caster sugar
8 tbsp water
4 free range egg yolks
300g butter, softened
150g dark chocolate, melted

Method -
Sponge -
1. Preheat oven to 170C / 325F / gas 3
2. Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
3. Divide between the paper cases in the muffin trays, I use a 50ml ice cream scoop.
4. Bake for 20-25 mins, until the cupcakes are springy to the touch.
5. Remove to a wire rack and leave to cool.

Icing -
1. Put the sugar and water in a small pan and heat slowly until the sugar dissolves.
2. Bring to the boil and boil until it reaches 110C on a sugar thermometer.  Don't let the syrup start to caramelize.
3. Meanwhile, put the egg yolks into a bowl and briefly whisk, then pour the hot syrup into the bowl in a thin, steady stream, whisking continuously.  Keep whisking until the mixture becomes pale, mousse like and completely cold.
4. Gradually whisk in the butter, followed by the melted chocolate.

To assemble -
Pipe or swirl the icing onto the cupcakes and decorate with crystallized ginger.

Mocha Marble Loaf

Coffee and chocolate sponges, marbled together and studded with chocolate chips, then glazed with a white chocolate ganache, perfect with a cuppa, and so easy to make.

Equipment -
900g loaf tin, lined
Electric whisk

Ingredients -
Sponge -
200g butter, softened
250g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large, free range eggs, beaten
250g self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp dark chocolate chips

30g cocoa powder & 2 tbsp milk for the chocolate mix

1 tbsp instant coffee powder, dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water for the coffee mix

Ganache -
100g white chocolate, finely chopped
100mls double cream
20g butter, diced

Method
Sponge -
1. Preheat oven to 180C / 350F / gas 4
2. Put butter in large bowl and beat until creamy.  Gradually beat in sugar, then vanilla, and continue to beat until mix is very pale and fluffy.
3. Gradually add the eggs, a tablespoon at a time, if the mix looks like it's about to curdle, add a tablespoon or two of the flour.
4. Sift the flour and salt into the bowl and gently fold in.
5. Divide the mixture into two bowls and add the coffee liquid to one, mixing well, and sifting the cocoa and adding the milk and mixing well to the other.
6. Add alternate spoonfuls of each mixture to the lined tin, scattering in the chocolate chips as you work.
7. Bang the tin on the work to a couple of times to expel air, then, using a round bladed knife, swirl it through the mixture to marble it.
8. Bake for an 1- 1 1/4 hours until the cake is well risen and a skewer inserted in to the middle comes out clean.
9. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 mins, then remove to a wire tray and leave to cool completely before icing.

Ganache -
1. Place finely chopped chocolate and butter in a bowl.
2. Heat cream, almost to the boil, then pour over the chocolate and butter.  Leave to stand for a few mins, then stir gently until smooth.  Don't over mix or it my separate.
3. Leave to cool until it reaches a thick pouring consistency.

To assemble -
Level the top of the cake if you wish using a sharp knife, pour over the glaze and dust with cocoa powder.

Milk Chocolate and Pistachio Squares

This is one of my husband's favourite cakes, it's moist, nutty and not too sweet (a bit like him!), and a recipe I keep coming back too.  It's from the BBC Good Food website, I originally found it in the Good Food magazine, which I buy every month.  You'll find the recipe here.
Before I tried the recipe, I was skeptical that the milk chocolate would be too bland, but my concerns were unfounded, dark chocolate would totally overpower the delicate flavour of the nuts and the soured cream in the frosting offsets some of the sweetness.

Chocolate and Honeycomb Cupcakes

I think when I make this again I'll use a dark chocolate ganache instead of butter icing as I think the bitterness would offset the sweetness of the honeycomb.  The original recipe is from the Hummingbird Bakery Home, Sweet Home book, I just made a few tweaks.  The honeycomb starts to dissolve quite quickly, so these are best not made too far in advance.  If you don't want to make your own honeycomb, you could always use crushed up Crunchie bars.

Makes 16 cakes

Oven temp - 170C, 325F, Gas mark 3

Equipment -
2, 12 hole muffin tins, 16 of the holes lined with muffin cases.
Sugar thermometer 
Electric hand mixer
Baking tray lined with baking paper

Ingredients -
Sponge -
70g unsalted butter, softened
170g plain flour
250g golden caster sugar
50g cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
210ml whole milk
2 large, free range eggs.

Honeycomb -
75g golden syrup
170 golden caster sugar
30ml water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Icing -
450g icing sugar, sifted
60g cocoa powder, sifted
160g unsalted butter, softened
60ml whole milk

Method -
Sponge -
1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Using an electric hand mixer, whisk together the butter, flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt to a crumb-like consistency.
3. In a jug mix the milk and eggs together using a fork.
4. Using the electric whisk on a slow speed, gradually add half the wet mix to the dry.  When it is mixed in, increase speed and add remaining wet mix and whisk until well combined and lump free.
5. Spoon the mix into prepared tins, I used a 50ml ice cream scoop which I find the right size for cupcakes.
6. Bake for 20-25 mins or until the sponge is springy when lightly pressed.  Leave in tins for a few mins, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Honeycomb -
1. In a large saucepan, mix the syrup, sugar and water together, then bring to the boil.  Do not stir the caramel or it may crystallise, just swirl the pan from time to time.  Boil to hard crack stage, about 150C on a sugar thermometer.
2. When it reaches the right temp, whisk in the bicarb (it will froth violently) and tip onto the prepared tray.
3. When completely cold, break into tiny pieces, I used a rolling pin.

Icing -
1. Whisk together all the icing ingredients until light and fluffy.
2. Stir in most of the honeycomb pieces, reserving some for decoration.
3. Swirl onto the cool sponges and sprinkle over reserved honeycomb.