I enjoy baking, there is something deeply satisfying about home baked cakes and
their aroma wafting from the kitchen which fills up the house. Winter has set in, in Delhi and all our woollies and blankets are out ... on a cold wintry
evening nothing could be more welcoming than enjoying a cup of fine
Darjeeling tea with a slice of cake fresh and warm from the oven.
Chocolate cake is a big
favorite with everyone but then, let's be honest ... there is some guilt
attached to gorging on such indulgence. To ostensibly alleviate that guilt, I veered towards
making whole wheat chocolate cupcakes. The wheat flour gives a darker and denser
texture and a nice nutty flavor.
Whole wheat flour is
made of ground whole grain wheat kernels. It is by far a healthier option in
baking and by no means less tasty as the switch from refined to wheat flour does not compromise the flavor. Initially, if one wishes one could
use a 50/50 blend of both whole wheat and refined flour in the cake batter and
then gradually switch over to total whole wheat. Baking times may vary when
using whole grain flour so do the toothpick test to check when the cake is
done.
I am all for
simple tea cakes, but I couldn't resist glamming
up these cupcakes. Though it marginally adds to the calorie count, the icing
sure adds a lot of oomph to the simple chocolate cupcake. The cupcakes have a
subtle chocolate flavor and a moist texture that is topped with a rich and
creamy chocolate butter icing.
 |
| chocolate cupcakes |
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup oil
11/2 teaspoon baking
powder
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
essence
3/4 cup warm water
Preheat oven to 180
degrees C. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper baking cups.
Stir in the cocoa powder
in the hot water (this brings out its full flavor) and mix well till smooth.
Let it cool down to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, sift
the whole wheat flour and the baking powder together. In a separate bowl mix in
the sugar, oil, eggs and the vanilla essence.
Add the wet ingredients
to the dry ones and fold in. Lastly, add the cooled cocoa water a little at a
time (the batter should be of dropping
consistency and not runny) till the cake batter gets well mixed .
Spoon the batter into
the prepared cups dividing evenly till they are about 3/4ths filled. Level the batter with the back of a spoon
and bake for 20-25 minutes or till a skewer inserted inside comes out clean.
Let the cupcakes rest
in the tin for 5 minutes and then place them on a wire rack to cool
Butter Cream Frosting
4 tablespoon (1/2 stick)
unsalted butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cup confectioners’
sugar / icing sugar
4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
essence
1. Place the butter in a
bowl and beat well till it gets smooth and creamy
2. Add in the cocoa and
sugar and beat them in well till fluffy
3. Mix in the milk, a
little at a time, stirring it well after each addition and then add the vanilla
extract and beat till frosting is smooth and glossy.
4. Spread the icing on each
cooled cupcake with a small spatula and let it rest for 1/2 an hour till it
sets properly.
Note: Powdered sugar can also be used for icing but sift it well with a fine sieve.
Two months ago: Celebrating
summer with a pear spice cake
Three months ago: Whole wheat mango cake-sans guilt
Four months ago: Pear and Cinnamon Upside Down Cake
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