These rich chocolate cupcakes are made using the Hummingbird Bakery chocolate cupcake recipe and topped with cute cat toppers made from white chocolate! Here's how to make them!
I love The Hummingbird Bakery Recipe Book so when I decided to make chocolate cupcakes with cat toppers there was only one choice for the base! Their book is brilliant and full of so many delicious recipes. To buy a copy head here.
For the recipe, read on! (Makes 12)
For the vanilla cupcake recipe, see here.
Ingredients
- 100g plain flour
- 20g cocoa powder
- 140g caster sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- 40g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 120ml whole milk
- 1 egg
- ¼tsp vanilla extract
- 1 quantity chocolate frosting (see recipe below)
- a 12-hole cupcake tray, lined with paper cases
- 300g icing sugar, sifted
- 100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 40g cocoa powder, sifted
- 40ml whole milk
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3.
- Put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld whisk like I did) and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
- Whisk the milk, egg and vanilla extract together in a jug, then slowly pour about half into the flour mixture, beat to combine and turn the mixer up to high speed to get rid of any lumps.
- Turn the mixer down to a slower speed and slowly pour in the remaining milk mixture (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of bowl with a rubber spatula or spoon). Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not over-mix.
- Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated over for 20-25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the Chocolate Frosting on top and decorate with the chocolate cat toppers!
Icing Method
- Beat the icing sugar, butter and cocoa powder together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or handheld electric whisk again) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
- Turn the mixer down to slow speed. Add the milk to the butter mixture a couple of spoonfuls at a time.
- Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes.
Making the Toppers
- Print out your templates and prepare baking paper sheet
- Melt your white and milk chocolate separately in a bain-marie
- Put your milk and white chocolate in separate piping bags
- Fill in your templates with the desired colour
- Add additional colour while still wet to achieve the marbling effect
- Repeat with the rest of the cats
- Pop in the fridge until you are ready to decorate your cupcakes! (Note: the white chocolate has a lower melting temperature so would be better served on a cold day not a warm one)
Cat Cake Stand - Catnap Design London Catnap Cake Stand £85
This recipe is taken from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook by Tarek Malouf and The Hummingbird Bakers
Text © Tarek Malouf and The Hummingbird Bakers. Octopus books.