Strawberry Cupcakes with Swiss Strawberry Buttercream

While I was attending my Cake Decorating course , we were required to bring some cupcakes for decorating and filling. I was feeling a bit uninspired as to my flavor choices and decided to check online for some ideas. Surely enough Annie's eats did not fail me and I saw these beauties with lovely swirls of pink buttercream.

The cupcakes are really delicious especially on their own and I ate most of them without any frosting on top. While I did try making the buttercream I was not a fan of it but only because I don't like buttercream in general. I was a bit worried that I would not be able to make it but after 10 minutes in the stand mixer the buttercream beautifully just comes together. One minute its a curdled looking mess and then it just transforms right before your eyes!

I filled my cupcakes with a simple strawberry sauce using a filling tip but they can also be served plain.

Recipe Source - Given as is from Annie's Eats with my notes in red.

Ingredients - Makes 32 Cupcakes

For The Cupcakes
21/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Cake Flour
1 Tbsp Baking powder
1 Tsp Salt
2 Sticks (1 cup) Unsalted Butter, At Room Temperature
21/4 Cups Sugar
1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
3 Large Eggs Plus 1 Large Egg White
1 Cup Milk
2 1/2 Cups Finely Chopped Fresh Strawberries (I used frozen strawberries for both cake and frosting)
For The Frosting
1 1/2 Cups Fresh Strawberries (8 oz.), Rinsed, Hulled And Coarsely Chopped
4 Large Egg Whites
1 1/4 Cups Sugar
3 Sticks (1½ Cups) Unsalted Butter, At Room Temperature

Make The Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 175˚ C (350˚ F).  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  

2. In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar and vanilla.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  

4. Beat in the eggs and egg white one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  

5.With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions alternating with the milk, mixing each addition just until incorporated.  Gently fold in the chopped strawberries with a spatula.

6. Divide the batter between the paper liners, filling each about ¾-full.  Bake until light golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-28 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.  Allow to cool in the pans a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make The Frosting

1. Place the strawberries in a food processor or blender.  Puree until completely smooth.  

2. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved.

3. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.  (The bowl should be cool to the touch.)

4.Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated.  If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (it took 10 minutes for me)  Blend in the strawberry puree until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

5. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip with the frosting.  Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Happy Eating!!

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

I celebrated yet another birthday last week and everybody asked me what cake did I bake for myself. When I said "Pumpkin Cake" they were all stumped. You see, in India Pumpkin is always used in savory dishes. Moreover we rarely use the orange pumpkin as it is not widely available. I have seen so many recipes for pumpkin pies, muffins, cakes etc and I was really tempted to try the pie. I searched for the canned stuff but it is not available anywhere over here in Dubai. One day however, I went to a supermarket where I rarely shop and what do I see? A can of pumpkin puree! I immediately grabbed it and headed home with grand plans of baking a pie. Sadly, there are no pie eaters in my house and I decided to chuck the idea. But when I came across this cake, I knew I had found the perfect recipe.

This cake is fantastic. But the frosting? It’s to die for! It may even be my favorite frosting from now on. It is light, creamy, not too sweet and does not have that buttery taste which I hate.

I highly recommend this cake if you want to try something new. I reduced the recipe by 25% as I had just less than 2 Cups of puree. The picture is of half the cake only as I have frozen the other half.

Recipe Source -  Not So Humble Pie, originally from Bake!: Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking

Ingredients - Makes one 7 inch four layer cake. (Reduced Recipe)

For the Cake

2 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour (Spooned and Leveled)

3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

A Pinch of Salt 

3/4 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon

1 1/2 Tbsp Ground Ginger

1 1/2 Tbsp Freshly Ground Nutmeg

3/4 Cup Golden Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed

1 1/2 Cups Canned Pumpkin Puree

4 Large Eggs, At Room Temperature

3/4 Cup + 3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

For The Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting - Yields enough to frost a 8" or 9" double layer cake. 

453 Grams (16oz) Full Fat Cream Cheese, Softened But Still Cool

1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 Cup Cold Heavy Cream (Use The Ultra Heavy 40%+ Cream If You Can Find It)

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence

Bake The Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 7 inch round cake pans with parchment paper.

2. Place the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a large bowl and mix well with a whisk. Keep aside.

3. In another bowl, mix the brown sugar with 1/2 Cup of the pumpkin puree, ensuring there are no lumps. Add the remaining puree and oil. Mix well and add the eggs, stirring after each addition. 

4. Add the dry ingredients in batches, mixing well after each addition.

5. Pour equally into the prepared pans and place in the oven on a lower middle rack. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes until done or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Unmold and cool completely before frosting.

Make The Frosting

1. Sift the powdered sugar and add the cream cheese to the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat them thoroughly until fluffy and completely smooth/lump free.

2. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream to nearly stiff peaks, then add the whipped cream into the cheese mixture, scrape down the sides of your bowl and quickly and briefly beat to combine. Do not over beat.

Frost The Cake
1. Slice each cake horizontally to get a total of four layers.
2. Place one layer on a cake board or plate and place a dollop of frosting. Spread evenly without reaching the sides. Repeat with all layers.
3. Cover completely with remaining frosting, Decorate as desired.

Happy Eating!!

Celebrating with Caramel Apple Shooters!!

We had a dinner party this weekend to celebrate a long awaited event. What, you ask? Well, hubby has just graduated from college!!! I am so proud of him and was bursting with joy when his results were announced. To celebrate the occasion we invited a few of his closest friends for dinner and I cooked up the usual Indian fare. I wanted to try something new for dessert and when I saw these shooters on the Half Baked blog I knew I wanted to try them as I love fall flavors. It is basically a cinnamon swirl cake with a layer of caramelized apples and cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It is a rich dessert and can be served in small portions. I did not have shot glasses so I made them in a little bigger size. This can also be made as a layer cake (yum!) I used a box mix to save up on time as I had a lot of stuff to do.

Recipe Source - Half Baked (I made a few changes which are given below)

Ingredients

For Cinnamon Swirl Cake

1 White Box Mix (And other ingredients asked for on the box) or any White Cake recipe

1 Tbsp Cinnamon Powder

For the Caramelized Apples

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Water
2 Cups Chopped Apples
1 Tsp Cinnamon

A Pinch of Salt

For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

1 Package (200 Gms) Cream Cheese (At Room Temperature)

1 Stick Butter (At Room Temperature)
1 Cup Powdered Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla Essence

Make The Cake

Mix the batter for the white cake according to package directions. Remove 1/2 Cup of batter in a cup and mix the cinnamon powder to it. Pour the white batter in a jelly roll pan and add dollops of the cinnamon batter. Swirl lightly with a toothpick and bake till done.

Make The Caramelized Apples

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir lightly till the sugar melts, then reduce the flame to low. Cook the apples till softened.

Make The Icing

Beat all ingredients with a mixer until light and fluffy.  Fill a piping bag fitted with large round tip.

Assemble The Dessert

You can use any type of glass or bowl.

1. Add a dollop of the icing on the bottom.

2. Using a round cookie cutter cut a circle from the cake (same size as the glass or bowl). Add the circle on the icing.

3. Add a tablespoon of the cooked apples.

4. Add another circle of cake and top with a layer of icing.

5. Drizzle a little of the liquid from the caramelized apples.

6. Serve at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator.

Happy Eating!!

Southern Coconut Cake

 I made this cake some time back when we had guests over for dinner. Though it's a coconut cake, the coconut taste is only from the sweetened shredded coconut on top (yes, I colored mine pink and green). The cake itself doe not have a coconutty flavor and if you are looking for a more pronounced flavor then a dash of coconut extract would do the trick. Other than that the cake is fabulous. It is moist, soft and delicious.  My only gripe was with the frosting as I thought it was way too sweet. This was the first time I made a cooked buttercream (with the sugar syrup and eggs) and although it tasted very good and a million times better than regular buttercream, the sugar quantity was too much. Next time I will surely reduce the sugar. I got to use my candy thermometer for the first time and it was so much fun watching the temperature rise to the correct stage :) The cleaning afterwards was anything but fun though!

I forgot to take a picture of the cake after I finished decorating it and this was the only piece left. I tinted the coconut into pink and red colors and made alternating stripes all around the cake. On the top I made a pink circle in the center followed by a green circle and another pink circle. It looked so pretty and now  I am really sad that I didn't take a picture :(

Recipe Source - Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne Via Lulu The Baker

Ingredients - I halved the recipe and baked it in two  7 inch round pans.

For The Cake

1 Large Egg Plus One Large Egg White

1/4 Cup Milk
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence

1 1/2 Cups Cake Flour

1 1/4 Cup Plus 1 1/3 Tbsp Sugar

2 1/4 Tsp Baking Powder

1/4 Tsp Salt

1 Stick Unsalted Butter (At Room Temperature)

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk

For The Frosting

170 Gms (6 Ounces approx) Cream Cheese (Slightly Chilled)

1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter (At Room Temperature)

1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar (Sift After Measuring)

1 Tsp Vanilla

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar 

2 Tbsp Water

1 1/2 Egg Whites

For The Garnish

2 Cups Sweetened Flaked Coconut 

 

Bake The Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). Butter the bottoms of two 7 inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a parchment circle and butter the circle.

2. Put the egg and egg whites in a bowl and whisk slightly. Add the 1/4 cup of milk and the vanilla and whisk to mix thoroughly; set aside.

3. In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, beat dry ingredients well in order to break up any lumps.

4. Add the butter and coconut milk on low speed and beat just to combine. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg mixture in 2 or 3 additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.

5. Divide the batter among the pans. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Make the Frosting

1. Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer and beat on medium speed until slightly fluffy and smooth. 2. Add the butter 1-2 Tablespoons at a time, mixing until smooth.
3. Add the confectioners sugar and vanilla and mix until fluffy. Set aside at room temperature.

4. Combine the granulated sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan and heat slowly, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium heat, without stirring until the syrup reaches the softball stage, 228 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

5. Meanwhile, place the egg whites in a mixer bowl and have the mixer ready to go. When the syrup is ready, turn the mixer on medium low and begin mixing the egg whites. Slowly add the hot syrup to the whites, taking care not to pour onto the beaters (it may splash). When all the syrup is incorporated, raise the speed on the mixer to medium high and beat the egg whites until the mixtures has cooled and stiff meringue forms.

6. With the mixer on low, begin adding the cream cheese mixture by the spoonful. When all is incorporated, raise the speed to medium and whip until frosting is smooth and fluffy.

Assemble The Cake

1. Place one layer--flat side up--on a plate. Cover this layer with 1 cup of buttercream frosting. Spread it evenly all the way to the edges. Then sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded coconut on top.

2. Repeat with the next layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake and cover with the remaining coconut. Chill the cake for at least 1 hour to allow the frosting to firm up. . Remove one hour before serving. Store any remaining in refrigerator

Happy Eating!!

Checkerboard Cake - Without The Special Pans!

We had an amazing four day long weekend here in Dubai and we made good use of it by planning a trip to the water park and a fun barbecue the next day. I had so much fun playing in the water without a care in the world. As soon as winter rolls in out here everyone starts planning fun activities for the weekend because in summer it is impossible to go out in the day time. we have already had a lot of picnics and I am looking forward to more of them before winter is over. Another reason why I love the get togethers is because I am given the responsibility of bringing dessert. It's a win-win for me as I get to try out new recipes and not worry about eating it all on my own! 

For this picnic I decided to do a big four layer cake with a checkerboard pattern from inside. This was the first time I did a layer cake with frosting and I absolutely loved making it. I don't have the checkerboard pan so I googled an alternative way of doing it and found a great tutorial on Chef Doughty. It was very easy to make once I had the cakes baked and ready.

You basically need four layers with two different flavours or colours. You can use plain vanilla and just colour it with food colour to get two different colours. You then cut out rings in each layer and exchange the inner circles.



The cakes with the inner rings
 exchanged



Once you stack them up and cut you will get the checkerboard pattern. The only problem was that when cutting the different rings were not holding together and had to be cut separately. That didn't deter us from enjoying the cake though!

 

Stacked and ready to be frosted



I used my favorite chocolate cake recipe from Cupcake project and the vanilla came from a boxed mix (Sorry, pressed for time on a Friday morning!). For the frosting I used the Chocolate Whipped Cream recipe and it was really easy to ice the cake with it. I definitely recommend freezing the cakes before any cutting and assembling as the frozen cakes were a breeze to work with.

Recipe Source for Chocolate Cake - The Cupcake Project

Ingredients

3/4 Cup (75 Gms) Butter, Room Temperature

2 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

8 oz (Approx 200 Gms) Dark Chocolate, Melted

3 Large Eggs, Separated

2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Cup All-Purpose Flour

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1 3/4 Cup Milk

1. Preheat oven to 175 Degree C (350 Degree F). Grease and flour two 9 inch round pans.

2. In the large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Mix in the eggs.

3. Add the vanilla and chocolate. Mix well.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

5. Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the butter/sugar mixture.

6. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

To make the checkerboard cake - See the picture tutorial on Chef Doughty.com

1. Have ready four layers of cake with two layers each of a different colour.

2. Using two round templates and a sharp knife cut two inner circles in each layer. (See pictures above)

3. Exchange the middle layers of two different colours.

4. Place any one layer on a cardboard circle and frost the top lightly with icing. Place a second layer on this ensuring that the outermost colour is the opposite colour of the first layer.

5. Frost and repeat with remaining layers.

6. Give a crumb coat and keep in fridge for some time. Frost completely with desired icing and decorate.

Happy Eating!!

Pina Colada Cake

The Eid holidays are over and I am back at work (sigh!). I had a great time over the weekend, as we went bowling and to the movies, ate a lot and met up with school friends after a very long time. As I had mentioned in the Eid day post, I was in charge of dessert for Eid and this cake was one of the two cakes that I made. I first saw this recipe on Annie's Eats and her cake looked so beautiful and elegant that I knew I wanted to try it out. However, there was one glitch. You see, I had never tasted a Pina Colada before! Yes, mostly because it's a cocktail and also because I thought pineapple and coconut would taste weird together. But after seeing the recipe I was eager to give it a try and went to a restaurant and ordered the mocktail version. Two sips later I was hooked. The flavors were good and I could imagine it in cake form. I knew I had my eid dessert. However, let me be honest and say that the cake part is from a box mix (gasp! I know), but I had to make two desserts and one was very time consuming (more on that epic fail later) and I thought I could bake one cake and use it as the base cake for both the desserts. Well that worked out pretty well and I had my cake ready in no time. The frosting was also made the night before and I just kept in the fridge. The next day, I leveled the cakes and frosted and decorated the cake. We ate it on the third day and it was so moist and yummy. I was a bit skeptical about cream cheese frosting but after the cake rested in the fridge the icing transformed into awesome goodness! Next time I will surely use the cake recipe as I am sure it will be fabulous (as all recipes from Annie's site are).

Recipe Source - Frosting recipe given as is from Annie's Eats with my notes in red.

Ingredients

For The Cake
1 Package Super Moist Betty Crocker White Cake mix. (Any other brand will do)
3 Egg Whites
1 1/4 Cup Water
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

For The Frosting
1 Cup Fresh Pineapple Chunks - I used canned but next time will use fresh for more flavor.
12 oz. Cream Cheese (At Room Temperature)
18 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (At Room Temperature)
2 2/3 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar (Sifted)
Yellow Food Coloring (Optional) - Omitted this.

For Decoration
Shredded Sweetened Coconut
Fresh Pineapple Wedges
Fresh Strawberries

Bake The Cakes

Preheat oven to 350° F (175 Degree C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and keep aside. Mix and bake the cakes as per package directions. Cool completely before frosting.

Make The Frosting

Puree the pineapple in the food processor until smooth. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add pureed pineapple until frosting achieves the desired pineapple flavor (approximately ¾ cup of puree). Add yellow food coloring to achieve a brighter color, if desired. If frosting is too liquid, allow to chill in the refrigerator 30 minutes before using to set up.

Assemble The Cake

Place one of the cake layers on a cardboard cake circle.

Top with a layer of pineapple frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining frosting. Garnish with shredded coconut, fresh strawberries and/or pineapple wedges, as desired.

 Happy Eating!!

Pistachio Cupcakes With Chocolate Ganache Topping

Psst, you! Come closer!

Yes, a little more!

Ah! These are little bites of heaven right here. Yes my friends, if you are a nut lover like me then look no further for an amazing little treat. Pistachio cupcakes with a Chocolate ganache! I saw these beauties on Annie's Eats ans since I had already eaten this winning combination in the Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti I knew these would be great. I made them as mini cupcakes and couldn't resist popping them in my mouth one after the other. One of my colleagues used to bring very similar cupcakes to the office (not home made) but they were only flavoured with saffron. Both have the same slightly dense, but soft texture and I love them.  The best part about this recipe is that there is no artificial pistachio taste. It uses actual ground pistachios for the subtle flavouring which can be boosted with a pistachio filling. I am planing on making this into a cake with pistachio filling and pistachio buttercream for Eid. Yumm, cant wait to try that combination.

I am submitting this recipe to One Hot Stove for the Potluck Edition. Somebody has to bring dessert right ;)

Recipe Source - Annie's Eats

Ingredients - Makes 16 - 18 Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes

3/4 Cup Plus 2 Tbsp Pistachios (Shelled and Divided)

10 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature)

85 Gms Cream Cheese (Room Temperature)

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

3 Large Eggs

1 Tsp Vanilla Essence

1 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour

1 1/2 Tsp Salt

For The Ganache

115 Gms Bittersweet Chocolate (Finely Chopped)

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature)

To Make the Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 165 Degree C (325 Degree F). Line cupcake pans with paper liners. (I didn't use liners as my pans are non stick and simply greased them with cooking spray).
2. Grind finely ½ cup of the pistachios in the bowl of a food processor.
3. Mix together the butter, cream cheese and ground pistachios in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). 
4. Add in the sugar on medium-low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  
5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and add the vanilla. 
6. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour and salt. Mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Chop the remaining pistachios and fold into the batter. 
7. Fill cupcake liners with the batter (3/4 full - I use an ice cream scoop for easy filling).
8. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes (Since I made mini cupcakes mine were done very quickly so keep an eye on them). Cool the cakes and frost with ganache. Garnish with additional chopped or ground pistachios.

To Make the Ganache

1. Place the heavy cream in a small microwave proof bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute in 30 second intervals. (Or bring to a boil on the stove top)
2. Remove and add in the chopped chocolate. Stir with a rubber spatula till combined. Add in the butter and stir for glossy finish. Invert each cupcake in the bowl (once cooled slightly) and twist to coat with a layer of ganache.

Happy Eating!!

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting And A Chocolate Cupcake

I am not a frosting person and mostly prefer to eat cakes on their own to enjoy their flavour. But I have noticed on many blogs that I follow that in the U.S cakes are rarely ever eaten without icing and those without it are referred to as coffee cakes. Hmm… However, when I started making cupcakes I also started trying out new frosting recipes and this is hands down one of my favorite frostings. So simple and yet so delicious. My brothers’ friends had come to our place one weekend and I grabbed the chance to bake something new. Since everyone out there loves chocolate I decided to try two chocolate cupcake recipes. The Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with PB frosting were awesome but these were the favorites hands down. I halved the original recipe as I didn't want 32 cupcakes sitting around to tempt me and made half the batch in my microwave convection and the other half in my gas oven to save time. After comparing the two, never again will I bake in the microwave as it gives a weird texture to the top of the cupcakes. The ones in the oven were smooth and moist all over.

I made the cupcakes and the frosting at night and kept the frosting in the fridge. The next day I just filled the cream into a piping bag and frosted the cupcakes. This starts melting due to body heat so avoid squeezing the entire piping bag with your palms (I didn’t do this but someone else did!)

Recipe Source – Given below as from Annie's Eats (My notes in red)

Ingredients – Makes 16 Cupcakes

For The Cupcakes

1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp Unsweetened Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder - Used Natural Unsweetened Cocoa

1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp Cup Hot Water

1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 + 1/8 Tsp Coarse Salt

3/4 Cups (1 1/2 Sticks/150 Gms ) Unsalted Butter

1 Cup + 2 Tbsp Sugar

2 Large Eggs, At Room Temperature

2 Tsp Vanilla Extract - Used Vanilla Essence

1/2 Cup Sour Cream (At Room Temperature) - Used Regular Yogurt 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 Degree F (180 Degree C). Line standard cupcake pans with paper liners.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
4. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and the sugar over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally to combine, until the butter is melted. Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-low speed, 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is cooled. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and beating well after each addition.
5. Mix in the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture and beat until incorporated.
6. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, beating just until combined.
7. Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling them about ¾ of the way full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For The Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting (Adapted from Annies Eats)
200 Gms Semi sweet Baking Chocolate (Chopped)
1 1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream (Chilled)
2 Tbsp Confectioners' Sugar

Place the chocolate in a small microwave proof glass bowl. Melt in the microwave stirring between 15 – 30 second intervals. (Alternatively melt in a double boiler on the stove). Keep aside to cool completely. Place the cream and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on high till stiff peaks are formed (For best results, place the bowl and whisk in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes). Gently fold in the melted chocolate till combined. Chill in the fridge till ready to frost.

Happy Eating!!