I decided to try my hand at making cupcakes this morning in a bid to try and win me a new cooker. Unfortunately, they didn’t turn out as well as I’d liked but I’m still entering; as the saying goes you have to be in it to win it!
This is my entry to the Range Cookers cupcake competition
I’ve never been a good cake maker, they usually turn out a mess, and today wasn’t much better! After searching online, I eventually found this recipe from Tescos for chocolate cupcakes. Mine don’t look anything like the Tesco pics unfortunately!
For 12 chocolate cakes:
Ingredients:
- 100g plain flour
- 20g cocoa powder
- 140g caster sugar
- 1 1/2tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 40g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 120mL whole milk
- 1 egg
- 1/4tsp vanilla extract
Estimated cooking time:
Approximately 20 mins of preparation and 25 mins for cooking
They looked a lot more appetising on the Tesco site!
1) Preheat the over to 170 C (325 F) Gas 3.
2) Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and butter. Use a free standing mixer with a paddle attachment (handheld whisk can be used as a substitute) Beat gently until you get a grain-like consistency and everything is combined.
3) Using a jug, whisk the egg, milk and vanilla extract together. Gradually pour half of the mixture unto your flour mixture. Blend them by moderate beating. To remove any lumps, set your mixer to high speed.
4) Pour the remaining milk mixture slowly while the mixer is set to a slower speed (if there are any unmixed ingredients from the side of your bowl, scrape them off using a rubber spatula) Mixing should be done until the texture of the cupcake mixture becomes smooth, don’t over mix.
5) Fill in the paper cups with the cupcake mixture until two-thirds full and bake for 20-25 minutes (or until the sponge bounces back when touched). Using a skewer, puncture a hole in the middle. If it comes out clean, your cupcakes are done.
6) Let the cupcakes sit in the tray until they are cool enough to be transferred out onto a wire cooling rack.
Note:
I attempted the frosting but just made a mess and must have missed a step as it went wrong, so I went for plain cupcakes in the end.
