CAKE: Black Bottom Cupcakes

From Jill O'Connor's Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey (I LOVE this book... )

Makes about 24 small cupcakes

Without the filling, this is a dairy-free and egg-free cake (for you Vegans!!) The recipe seems improbable, but it works and the result is a not-too-sweet, dense and dark chocolate cake. I have had fun playing with additions and fillings and have never made it exactly per the recipe below, but the outcome has always been successful. If you choose not to use a filling, note that the mixture does not make many cakes if using a larger cupcake case, so you may choose to double the recipe. Because there is no creaming of butter etc, this is a really quick and easy option and the basic cake recipe uses very simple pantry staples.

For the Cake Batter:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar (I have always used White vinegar instead because that's what I had)
1 tsp vanilla essence

For the Filling:

200g Mascarpone Cheese
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 large egg
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup chocolate chips

For the Glaze:
200g semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup unsalted butter, chopped into pieces
1/4 cup corn (glucose) syrup
1 tsp vanilla
NOTE: I have never made this glaze but have substituted with a chocolate ganache or simple chocolate icing

Preheat the oven to moderate 180 deg C. Prepare cupcake liners.

To make the filling:

In a medium bowl, cream the mascarpone with the icing sugar, egg, salt and vanilla until smooth. Add the choc chips.

To make the cake:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine the boiling water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid ingredients. Stir until combined.

Fill each cupcake 1/4 full of batter and top with a heaped tbspn or so of the filling. Divide it evenly to use completely. Top the filling with the remaining batter, dividing it evenly. Bake until cupcakes are firm and puffed (about 25 - 28 minutes).

To make the glaze:

Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from microwave and stir until smooth. If choc is not completelt melted, continue to microwave for 30 sec intervals and stir until smooth.

Transfer the cupcakes in the pans to a wire rack and cool completely. When cool, dip the top of the cupcakes in the glaze. Let excess drio from the cupcakes for a few seconds and place upright to firm up the glaze.

VARIATIONS:

* Make without the filling - plain cake with an icing or ganache is delicious

* Add frozen raspberies to the cake batter and bake as above.

* Add Chocolate Chips to the batter

* Most recently I have used the filling and added raspberries to the batter. I removed the cupcakes from the cases as I hadn't filled very well and had lost most of the filling over the top which had made them messy and sticky. Note, the advice to use 3/4 of the batter OVER the filling seems wise after this recent experience. I then made a simple ganache from 200g dark chocolate and about 100g of cream melted together and drizzled over the top. These are delicious served warm (20 seconds in microwave) as a dessert. Feel free to add cream or ice-cream if using as a dessert.