Mocha Banana Cupcakes

Mocha Banana Cupcakes

My son is going on a school picnic. Out came a long list of food he intends to carry. Cakes are something he loves to barter for other goodies. So much for my hard work. This time he had very precise instructions for the kind of cake he wanted. It should have chocolate, bananas and coffee. There should be no nuts, raisins or peanuts. So mommy dearest set to work!!

Ingredients

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup cocoa powder

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

4 tbsp coffee powder

1 cup sugar

¾ cup butter

4 tbsp milk

2 eggs

2 ripe bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, coffee powder and baking powder.

Whip together sugar and butter till pale and light. 

Add the milk and whip some more. 

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the mashed bananas and mix. 

Now gently fold in the flour mix. 

Pour batter into cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes. 

Death by chocolate cupcakes

Death by chocolate cupcakes
Recipe source : Sally’s baking addiction

It is the month of March. Delhi weather is changing. It is the most worrisome period because you feel both warm cold at the same time. The season of flu and viral fever. 

The only good thing about this weather, I feel, is that it is good for baking. What an absurd thing to say, right? Well I will give you my reasons. 

This is the perfect weather for room temperature butter. It is neither frozen solid, nor melted down into a puddle. When it is cold I have to keep the butter outside in the sun for that perfect consistency. In summers I keep shoving it in the fridge and taking out again to see if it just right. Too solid or too liquid destroys the fluffiness when you beat it with sugar. 

Also the chocolate compound is very pliable now. It doesn't melt and stick to your fingers. It is not so hard that you bruise your palms chopping them. 

So, like I said perfect weather for baking, especially chocolate cakes. 


Ingredients

100 gms butter
50 gm chocolate
½ cup cocoa powder
¾ cup flour
½ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
2 eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. 
Melt the butter and chocolate together for one minute in the microwave and beat well till smooth and glossy. 

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder. Whisk together the eggs, sugar and brown sugar till frothy. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and whisk again.

 Add half the flour mix, beat and then add half the buttermilk. Repeat the process again. Do not overmix. Spoon into cupcake cases and bake 12-14 minutes. 

Coconut Streusel Topping Mocha Cupcakes

Coconut Streusel Topping Mocha Cupcakes

Streusel toppings are very interesting. My local bakery makes these walnut mini cakes with a streusel topping. I had always intended to replicate that cake. However it is easier to just walk across and buy those yummy cakes. With severe winters setting in all the shops are slowly closing down for the season. So finally I had to try out a streusel topping cake. It is easier than you think and classier than you can imagine. These mocha cupcakes are really soft and are best eaten after a few hours. 

Ingredients

For the streusel

1/4 cup+2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup+ 2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup+ 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
2 tbsp melted butter

Mix together the streusel ingredients and keep aside.

For the Mocha cupcakes

2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 cup milk
2 tbsp instant coffee powder
1/2 cup oil
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup chopped chocolate

Mix together all the dry ingredients. Mix together the milk and coffee powder. Add the oil and egg. whip the wet ingredients well. Fold in the dry ingredients. Add the chopped chocolate. 
Preheat the oven at 180 degrees celsius. Fill the muffin cases half full. Sprinkle the streusel topping on top of the batter. 

Bake for 10 minutes. By this time the coconut topping will be nicely browned. Cover the cupcakes with an aluminium foil and bake another 20 minutes. 

Eggless Orange Almond Cupcakes

Eggless Orange Almond Cupcakes

I am not a fan of jam. So what to do with the jars of jam sitting in the pantry? One good option is to make jam cookies. Yumm!! Another is cake or cupcakes. 

Marmalades are different from jams because they have chunks of fruits or peels in them that give an added body to the marmalade or the cake you use them in. 

Orange marmalade is an excellent option to use in cakes. Combine it with chocolate and you have an awesome flavor feast. Orange and chocolate combination is simply irresistible and unbeatable. 

However today I am going in for a simpler combination: orange and almonds. The almond flavor is mild and so it complements the stronger orange flavor. And cupcakes are much easier to make mainly because they take less time to bake and even lesser time to eat.LOL! 

Ingredients

1 cup castor sugar
1 cup flour
½ cup butter
¼ cup yogurt
¾ cup milk
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ cup orange marmalade
1 tsp orange essence (optional)
4 almonds, flaked

Mix the milk and yogurt well. Keep aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda. 
Beat the butter and sugar till pale and fluffy. Add the essence and beat again. Now using a spatula, fold in the flour and milk-yogurt mix alternately.

First fold in flour then add some milk-yogurt mix. Keep repeating till all the ingredients are used up.
 Now add the marmalade and mix well ensuring that no lumps remain. 

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Line a cupcake tin with paper cups. Pour the batter into the paper cups ensuring that you fill only halfway through. 

The cupcakes will rise and you do not want spillage. Sprinkle flaked almonds on top. Bake for about 22-25 minutes. 

Pina Colada Cupcakes

Pina Colada Cupcakes

Its Diwali time. The mathris, gujiyas, shakkarparas are ready. As a Bengali we have Kali Puja on this day. At midnight the puja starts and we get down to an elaborate non vegetarian bhoj at around 2 in the morning. It’s a night long celebration. Evening time is for bursting crackers, meeting friends and relatives and basically hogging. Don’t you just love this festival!!

Apart from the traditional sweets and savories I decided to do something different too. What’s Diwali if not an excuse to be a little tipsy? And this Pina Colada Cupcake recipe sounds just perfect. Don’t worry even though it does have vodka in it you won’t be under the effect. 

The pineapple chunks are soaked in vodka to infuse that particular flavour. Then the vodka concoction is drizzled over the warm cupcakes. Even though you are not used to liquor you will still enjoy this cupcake. 

Ingredients

for the cupcakes
100 ml white rum
4 pineapple rings, chopped fine
120 gm flour
170 gm sugar
1/2 cup milkmaid
40 gm butter
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
120 ml coconut milk

for the icing
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp coconut liqueur (optional)
Chopped pineapple for garnish

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
Boil the chopped pineapple in the rum and 30 gm sugar for about 5 minutes. Be careful because liquor catches fire very easily. Turn of flame and let the pineapple seep in the rum  while you prepare the batter. 

Mix together flour, butter, baking powder and remaining 150 gm sugar till they resemble breadcrumbs. 

Beat together milkmaid, coconut milk and vanilla essence. Slowly add it into the flour. Drain the pineapple pieces and add to the flour. If the batter seems too thick add a few tablespoons of milk. 

Pour the batter into cupcakes cases. Spoon in the batter till it is 2/3 rd full. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Once done let it cool slightly. Poke few holes into the cupcakes with a tooth pick. Drizzle the white rum concoction on them. 

Now prepare the icing. Whip the cream, coconut milk and liqueur together till stiff peaks rise. Pipe the icing on the cupcakes as you desire. Garish with a small piece of pineapple. 

Eggless Choco Chip Cupcakes

Eggless Choco Chip Cupcakes

I somehow can’t seem to stay away from chocolate. After baking a few myriad cakes I simply have to make something chocolaty. This is a very simple choco chip cupcake recipe. The cupcakes will be dark and decadent because we are using cocoa powder as well as choco chips for the extra chocolaty taste. 

The recipe is an eggless one. The required aeration will be given by the curd and baking soda mix. As soon as you mix the wet and dry ingredients you will see the batter become light and fluffy. The baking soda reacts with the acidic yogurt to make the batter light. While baking this will make the cupcakes soft and spongy.

Ingredients

¾ cup flour

¼ cup cocoa powder

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter

¾ cup milk

¼ cup curd

½ tsp vanilla essence

¼ cup choco chips

For garnish

2 tbsp choco chips

Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda.

Beat butter and sugar till pale and fluffy.

Add the flour and milk-curd mixture alternately, starting and ending with flour. Mix well after each addition. Add the choco chips. 

As soon as you mix the wet and dry ingredients the baking soda will be activated. Now you have to put the cupcakes to bake as soon as possible.

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Line a cupcake tin with paper cup. Fill the paper cups half way with the batter. Sprinkle some choco chips on top for garnish.

 Bake them for about 25 minutes. 

Pina Colada cupcakes

Pina Colada cupcakes

The other day a post about mocktails and cocktails started me thinking about my favourite mocktail: Pina Colada. A lovely combination of pineapple juice, coconut cream and vanilla ice cream. MMMMMMM!!!! So how about some Pina Colada Cupcakes? They combine the same flavours in the form of a cupcake.

Ingredients

12/3 cups flour

½ tsp baking powder

 ½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ cup butter, melted

1 large egg

½ cup pineapple juice

½ cup coconut milk

2 tsp vanilla essence

Preheat the oven at 170 degrees Celsius.

Sieve the dry ingredients together.

Beat the butter and then add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat well.

Add the egg and mix well. Add pineapple juice and coconut milk and vanilla essence. Beat well.

Fold in the flour. Pour the batter into individual cup cake moulds and bake for 15-20 minutes.

The cupcakes were ready and then I started thinking about the frosting. The most hassle free frosting is the whip cream. 

However, I wanted to add some other element to it. The problem as I didn’t have any other element. Some fruits would have been nice. So I raided my son’s cupboard and came up with these strawberry jelly candies. 

I took a handful and blended them into a rough paste with the help of some milk. These I added to the whipped cream and Yeppee!! My element was ready.

For Frosting

1 cup whipping cream

10 strawberry jelly candies

2 tbsp milk

Few more for garnishing

Blend the jellies and milk into a rough paste. You want the strawberry jelly bits to come into your mouth. Whip the cream to stiff peaks. Add the jelly paste. Frost designs on the cupcakes.