Les petits gateaux au chocolat

One of my favourite snacks ever is "jumbo" or "giant" corn, which I've only found in Japan or Japanese stores (like Daiso).  It's like a Japanese version of kettle corn, without the saltyness.  The ingredients are: corn, sugar, sea water, corn syrup, and honey.  Soo you can extract that its sweet.  BUT it's the perfect combination of sweetness and crunchyness - It's not too sweet at all, and I'd much prefer indulging in a bag of Jumbo Corn than Kettle corn or Caramel corn. I suggest you go out and buy a bag yourself (Warning: it is VERY hard to find.  I've had it shipped to me from Japan till a couple days ago when Daiso JUST started shelving them).  In fact, I consumed a whole bag this afternoon.  Once I start eating Jumbo Corn, I can't stop.. no joke.


Another treat that's hard to stop eating is the Classic Chocolate Cupcake. Who doesn't love a good chocolate cupcake? Especially when they're decorated with buttercream and sprinkles.

This simple recipe for the cake and icing is a perfect base recipe - you can add chocolate chips, peanut butter, marshmallow filling, caramelized banana's, almond flavoured buttercream - anything your craving at the time you're making these!  You can alter, taste, and test - then perhaps tell me your new concoctions for me to taste & test.


Chocolate Cupcakes or Cake
Makes 12 Cupcakes or 1 8" cake

Ingredients

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cocoa powder (I use Fry's cocoa powder - not Dutch processed)

1/4 cup room temp butter, shortening, or half of each (I prefer all butter)

1/2 cup milk or 1/4 cup buttermilk & 1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

(for cupcakes only: 12 baking cups)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease the 8" pan, or line up a muffin pan with the baking cups
3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder
4. Add the butter, milk, and vanilla
5. Mix with a wooden spoon around 300 hand strokes or for 2 minute on medium speed with an electric mixer, constantly scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl
6. Add one egg at a time
7. Beat for another 2 minutes
8. Evenly disperse the batter into the muffin tins with an ice cream scooper or spoon, or scrape all the batter into the cake pan
9. Bake for about 25min for the cupcakes, or 35min for the cake (insert a toothpick in the middle, about 5 min before, to see whether its done or not) - its better to check because ever oven is different, and you don't want an overbaked cake!
10. When the inserted toothpick comes out dry, take the cupcakes/cake out of the oven, and let cool completely before frosting

Vanilla Butter Icing

Makes enough to ice 12 cupcakes or 1 8" cake

Ingredients

1/2 cup room temperature butter

2 and 1/2 cups icing sugar

2 tablespoons milk (or more if necessary)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

optional: food colouring

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat butter with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until light and fluffy
2. Add icing sugar 1/2 cup at a time, making sure that the mixture is smooth before you add the next 1/2 cup
3. Beat in milk and vanilla
4. Spread onto the cake or pipe onto cupcakes
5. Icing will slightly harden, but it'll still taste good

This isn't necessarily the BEST icing I've ever had, its just the one I used for this recipe.

So there you go, you have another simple chocolate recipe.  Nothing special, but it will cure those chocolate cravings, so go ahead, indulge :)