In my grade 5/6 class we recently made these chocolate cupcakes. I like to have one big birthday party with my class where we all pretend it is each of our birthdays. We play games, give each other Birthday cards, and we bake these delicious cupcakes. It’s important for me to provide the kids with an opportunity to eat the best cupcake possible, since most of the time they eat the fluffy store-bought cupcakes with the oily icing. A birthday cupcake should be a real treat – and these really are.
I found the recipe on the Hershey’s website, and made up the icing recipe myself. It makes 24 cupcakes.
This recipe can be adapted to make a cake as well – see below for baking times.
What you need for the cupcake:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa, sifted
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
- 24 muffin tin liners
What you need for the icing:
- 1 & 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 4-5 cups icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 or more tablespoons whipping cream
What you do:
- Heat oven to 350°F. Place the liners in the muffin tins.
- Stir the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in the boiling water. Pour the thin batter into the muffin tin liners to 2/3 full.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the muffin tins and place on wire racks to cool completely.
- To make the icing, beat the butter, using an electric mixer, until light and fluffy.
- Sift in 4 cups of the icing sugar and beat in. Add the vanilla and gradually add 2 tablespoons of whipping cream. Add more icing sugar if it needs to be thickened, and more cream if it needs softening.
- Ice the cupcakes and refrigerate. I like to eat them with the icing firm and cold from the fridge, but room temperature works too.
To make a one pan cake: Grease and flour a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes.
To make a two layer cake: Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes.
To make a three layer cake: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.
Trust in Kim (she will guide thee) 