Mini Chocolate Cupcake with Lemon Cream Cheese

Some friends asked me why I have been posting dessert only posts lately? Well, very simple... I've taken my Kitchen Aid out and my hands are itchy to try out all those recipes which I have been collecting over the years. I must say, it was fun and therapeutic especially when the kids are making havoc in the house! :P

Last weekend, we were invited to our friends' son's birthday so we can't be going there empty handed. Decided to bake something as contribution (which is a norm in Australia when there is a makan-makan session!) to the little party. I knew there will be a lot of food so making bite size food will be ideal. Also, I wanted to use up some of the lemons which were given by another friend.

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This is the first time I've used cream cheese for frosting my cakes (the cold weather here is perfect!) as the acidity from the lemon juice and lemon zest made the chocolate cakes taste superb! It was a winning combo!!

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Ingredients (Mini Chocolate Cupcake)

• 113g Butter - room temp


• 120g Castor Sugar


• 3 Eggs - room temp (I used medium sized eggs)


• 103g All purpose flour


• ½ teaspoon baking powder


• ¼ teaspoon baking soda


• Pinch of salt


• 43g Unsweetened cocoa powder


• 120ml Milk


• 1 tsp Vanilla essence

(This recipes yields about 2 dozens mini cupcakes)

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Methods

1. Beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat on high until light and fluffy.


2. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined.


3. In a small mixing bowl, sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder, mix to combine.


4. In another bowl, mix the milk and vanilla and stir to combine


5. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the butter batter and beat to combine. Add about a half of the milk/vanilla and beat to combine. Continue adding, alternating between dry and wet and finishing with the dry.


6. Scoop batter into cupcake cups about 2/3’s full (the cakes will not rise a lot as this recipe is not a dome cake recipe... it is flat top which is ideal for frosting)


7. Bake cupcakes in preheated oven and bake at 170°C for 15-18 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Frosting

• 1 block (250g) of Philadelphia Cream Cheese


• 1 Cup Icing/Confectioner sugar


• 1tbsp Lemon juice (freshly squeeze)


• 1tsp Lemon zest

1. Mix cream cheese and sugar in the mixer bowl, beat till well combine, add in lemon juice and lemon zest and beat till light and fluffy.


2. Fill cream cheese into piping bag and pipe out onto cooled cupcakes.

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Cupcake recipe is adapted from here