And I'm back. Lack of updates was due to being on holiday in Italy. I have to admit, halfway through the week I was going a bit mad and wanting to bake. And I did bake pretty much as soon as I got home, but I made Florentines again for a present and since I've already posted about them I didn't see the point in posting again.
Anyway, my boyfriend asked me if I would make cakes for him weekly visit to see his friends. I gladly agreed because I love any excuse to bake. This was something I thought up whilst I was away and then researched the best way to do things when I returned. Having a reason to make them was great. So these are chocolate cupcakes, with a marshmallow centre and topped with marshmallow fluff and drizzled chocolate.
According to my boyfriend they are really yummy. Apparently the marshmallow compliments the chocolate well and balances everything out. So yay! A success!
I
ended up using a couple of different recipes for this, one for the
chocolate cakes and one for the marshmallow fluff on top. Reading
around made me decide to add the marshmallow centres after cooking
rather than putting a marshmallow in when it was baking. I admit, the
method was tricky because the marshmallow is so sticky but I got there
in the end.
Chocolate Cupcakes (with added marshmallow filling) Recipe: - adapted from Cupcakes and Muffins
Makes 12/13
- 200g/7oz butter
- 140g/5oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 150g/5.5oz self-raising flower
- 55g/2oz cocoa powder
- 120-150 mini marshmallows
- Small knob of butter
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
- Put large-ish cupcake cases in a cupcake tray.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla and beat.
- Lightly beat the eggs in a separate bowl and then gradually add to the sugar/butter mix, stirring in after each addition.
- Sift together the flour and cocoa powder and fold into the rest of the mixture.
- Spoon the mixture into the cases and then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
- Allow to cool on a cooling rack.
- Put the marshmallows in a glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water along with the knob of butter.
- Once they start melting, stir until smooth. Leave over the water.
- Use a knife to carve a hole out of each cake. Place the cake from the hole to one side because you're going to put it back on top.
- Spoon the melted marshmallow into the holes. You may need to reheat the marshmallow as you do this because it gets stickier as it cools and is difficult to get off the spoon.
- Put the cake 'stopper' back into the cake on top of the marshmallow.
- Leave to cool while you make the topping (see below).
Marshmallow Fluff Topping (with drizzled chocolate) - adapted from Bake me I'm yours...Sweet Bitesize Bakes
- 1 large egg white
- 125g/4.5oz caster sugar
- 25g/0.75oz golden syrup
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- About 40g milk chocolate
- Put a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
- Place everything except the vanilla extract in the bowl.
- Whilst it is heating, stir with an electric whisk for several minutes (about 10) until you get shiny peaks.
- Remove from the heat and whisk for another two minutes to thicken it up.
- Add the vanilla and whisk in too.
- Allow to cool.
- Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle and pipe large swirls on top of each cake.
- Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water.
- Spoon the chocolate into a piping bag fitted with a small, round nozzle. Pipe spirals on top of the marshmallow fluff.
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