Coffee Mascarpone Layered Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache, the cake of my dreams, one I baked in a hurry for my birthday! It was delicious once sliced, the flavours coming together just as I had hoped they would. Coffee and chocolate are my to-go flavour combination, and my basic sponge recipe a favourite too, one that lives in my head. It’s been a while since I baked a layer cake. The better half appreciatively called this one an old-fashioned cake, possibly because I fast track most cakes these days.It’s often a quick cheesecake or a flourless cake that I turn out, a reflection of ‘so much to do and so little time, also one that points towards my habit of procrastination. This one was planned no differently, yet, happily enough, I made a layered cake!A special occasion cake needs more effort, and for my birthday, no matter what, it’s A L W A Y S a coffee chocolate one I bake! And call me a sucker for punishment or what you like, I just came in from a long exhausting shoot the previous day. That was great fun but had me on my feet for almost 15 hours every day, and I came back to excited puppies and guinea pigs. Family too of course!All I wanted to was to vegetate, basically sit in one place and grow roots. Yet just the thought of coffee cake had me turn on the Kitchen Aid, eight eggs & sugar whipping away silently as I readied the other stuff. There’s barely anything else to this sponge other than lining the tins and preheating the oven of course. Add some flavour {vanilla, coffee powder, coffee extract if you like}, throw in some baking powder and a pinch of salt. A quick sifting of flour over, and a gentle fold through and that’s all it takes.Then I pretty much had to think the filling and frosting. That the filling was going to be coffee mascarpone was already in my head. Then I got a little lazy since I had forgotten to chill the cream, and decided to go with a dark chocolate ganache just because it seemed so much simpler! That was the simplest thing ever, one I hurriedly made as the sponges baked. Since the weather is quite cool, I left the chocolate ganache out at room temperature for 2-3 hours to rest. Once you have all the elements sorted out, the Coffee Mascarpone Layered Cake doesn’t take long to assemble.A quick brush of a simple coffee syrup, then coffee mascarpone, and repeat with all four layers. Since I was short on time, I popped it into the freezer for 30 minutes. Ideally I would have left it to sit for a couple of hours, or overnight, for the flavours to mature. That done, it was time for the ganache which was perfectly smooth at room temperature.You do need to move quick as the ganache hits the chilled cake. One thin base coat, followed by a generous top coat, a sifting over of cocoa powder, a scattering of chocolate flakes, a few coffee beans and we’re good to go! Into the fridge to chill for a couple of hours to allow the flavours to mature, hoping it was going to be delicious once sliced. I really had to chase the light to get a shot; daylight is really at a premium these days.
Coffee Mascarpone Layered Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache
Coffee and chocolate are a pairing made in heaven, and this Coffee Mascarpone Layered Cake doesn't disappoint. Make it the previous day if you like, the flavours mature well over time.
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 2 hourshours45 minutesminutes
Servings 8people
Ingredients
Coffee sponge 8" X 2
8eggs
1/2cupbrown sugar
1/2cupvanilla sugar
3tbspinstant coffee
1tspcoffee extract
1tspvanilla extract
1tspbaking powder
pinchsalt
1cupall purpose flour
2tbspcornflour
Coffee Syrup
1/3cupWater
cup½sugar
1tbspinstant coffee powder
Coffee Mascarpone Filling
250gcreamchilled
50gicing sugar {to taste}
3tspinstant coffee powder
250gmascarponechilled
Dark chocolate ganache
300gsingle cream
450g52% couverture chocolate
Garnish
cocoa powderchocolate shavings, coffee beans
Instructions
Coffee Sponge
Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the bottom and sides of 2 X 8″ spring form/loose bottomed round tins.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs with both sugars till thick and mousse like, 7-10 minutes.
Add the coffee and vanilla extract and beat in again for a minute, then beat in the baking powder and pinch of salt.
Sift the flour over, folding gently in 3 lots, lightly till it’s mixed through well. Be careful not to release the beaten in air.
Turn the batter into the prepared baking tin, and bake for 30-35 minutes, till a tester comes out clean.
Cool completely on racks, then slice into two horizontally, total 4 layers.
Coffee Syrup
Place ingredients in a small pan and stir until sugar dissolves. Cool.
tbsp instant coffee powder
Coffee Mascarpone Filling
Whip the cream, sugar and coffee together till medium stiff peaks form. Fold in the mascarpone. Taste and adjust sweetness if required.
Dark Chocolate Ganache
Place chopped chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl and run at high in the microwave for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth, then leave it to rest to cool. Whisk again before using.
Assemble
Brush each layer with the coffee syrup, and sandwich with the filling.
Give the whole cake a thin layer of ganache as a base coat. Let it set for about 5 minutes.
Frost with the remaining ganache.
Sift over with cocoa powder and garnish with chocolate shavings and coffee beans.
Chill for about an hour or overnight. The flavours mature nicely over time.
Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Oat Pudding with Pumpkin Mascarpone Mousse … dessert that was waiting to happen. Some things are meant to be and this certainly was. It’s a little late but is headed off for the #virtualpumpkinparty hosted by Sara over at Cake Over Steak. I had pudding ready in the fridge and some fresh pumpkin puree that I made yesterday.
There’s something about the season. The minute summer ebbs away, I reach out for the pumpkin. More often than never, you will find some oven roasted pumpkin in the fridge. On luckier days, I’ll have already made it into a puree! I love the sweetness it offers, and the ease of use. This was breakfast a few days ago, a very inspired one actually. The fresh pumpkin puree that I made day before was calling my name. So was my hungry rumbling tummy.
Trying to stay more full and get healthier everyday with least fuss {and more veggies!}, this fall inspired breakfast bowl was goodness stirred together. Greek yogurt whisked with honey and a 1/2 cup of fresh chilled pumpkin puree. Some absolutely delicious granola and a drizzle of honey finished it off. I roast pumpkin for salad too quite often. This is one of my favourites, a tossed salad with chickpeas!
So you can imagine that I’m a huge fan of this humble vegetable and the #virtualpumpkin party was just the thing to grab my attention. I read it off Amisha’s instastory on instagram, and Sara was good enough to have me over, even though I was late. The requirements for the pumpkin party were simple … ‘share an original pumpkin-based recipe on your blog. It can be a dessert, a main dish, a cocktail, etc. – it just needs to incorporate pumpkin or a similar winter squash in some way.‘
So here I am, with a really simple, fast track dessert, which is quite healthy actually. The base is a Dark Chocolate Oat Pudding, slightly different from the one I shared here a few days ago. I skipped the walnuts, made the process simpler, and used cinnamon to tie in the flavours. The layers are chocolate pudding, spices sweet pumpkin puree, and a whipped pumpkin mascarpone mousse. I made tiny fondant pumpkins too!
Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Oat Pudding with Pumpkin Mascarpone Mousse
Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Oat Pudding with Pumpkin Mascarpone Mousse is a simple, fast track dessert, which is quite healthy actually. The layers are oat chocolate pudding, spiced sweet pumpkin puree, and a whipped pumpkin mascarpone mousse. Eggless, wholegrain & gluten free, it’s truly yum!
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 4 hourshours20 minutesminutes
Servings 6people
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Oat Pudding
400gmilk
200mllow fat cream
30gcocoa powder
1tspcinnamon powder
35gbreakfast oats
150gdark couverture chocolatechopped
75gbrown sugar
30ghoney
Pumpkin Mousse
Fresh pumpkin puree from 400g pumpkinchilled {100g+300g}
450gmascarpone
4-5tbsppowdered sugar {to taste}
2tsppumpkin pie spice mix
Pumpkin seeds to garnish
Instructions
Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Oat Pudding
Place all ingredients in a heavy bottom pan and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken.
Once it becomes as thick as a custard, take off heat, allow to cool, then puree with an immersion blender or blend in a food processor until smooth.
Pour into serving bowls / glasses.
Cool and then chill for 4-6 hours, preferably overnight.
Pumpkin mouse
Whisk the pumpkin puree with sugar to taste and the pumpkin pie spice. {Reserve the remaining pumpkin puree}
Whisk 100g of the pumpkin puree with about 100g of the mascarpone until smooth.
Gently whisk/fold in the remaining mascarpone so as not to lose volume. {Gently add more sugar if required.}
Place into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
Assemble
Divide the reserved pumkin puree over the set chocolate pudding using a piping bag. Level out gently.
Pipe the mascarpone pumpkin mousse over the pumpkin puree.
Zafrani Phirini | Saffron Almond Indian Rice Pudding… some desserts become your signature and this is one of those. I have been making phirini or rice pudding for years. Each time I try and simplify the process just a little more since I am always short on time. This time I really fast tracked the method {I’m quite proud of the result if I may say so myself} and it’s been highly praised by everyone who’s tasted it.I’ve made this 3 times already and each time the result is consistently good and consistently delicious. The better half calls it ‘out of this world good’ which is tall praise. He says it’s heavenly. I thought I must share it with you. The recipe uses very basic pantry ingredients and just needs some TLC! To make it special, I used a generous pinch of saffron. Saffron makes everything special. Festive too. I served it on Diwali. It’s a really really nice make ahead dessert. I shot it here with these beautiful Daniel Wellington watches I was recently gifted. I loved the way the colours and frame came together. So festive and pretty!This version of the rice dessert is ‘phirini’ which is an Indian rice pudding traditionally made of ground rice. The rice kheer is another similar variant but is made of whole rice simmered until soft. The textures and flavours vary vastly once cooked. Phirini is always served cold while kheer can be served either hot or cold. We prefer phirini at home.The Zafrani Phirini | Saffron Almond Indian Rice Pudding is vegetarian, it’s egg free and gluten free too. I’ve done a Tropical Coconut Milk Rice Pudding in the past as well. If you’re looking for a vegan option, then maybe you can use this recipe as a base and play around with it. Either which way, this creamy rice pudding is a delicious way to end a meal. Also a great ‘mid day snack‘ too if you are like my better half!The last time I shared the recipe I dry ground the rice a little with the almonds. This time around I made it a step shorter. Simpler actually. Instead of washing and drying the rice overnight, I just dumped the drained washed rice with almonds and a little milk into the jar of the blender. Soooooo much simpler, and definitely creamier too.This is by far the simplest way to rice pudding from scratch that I have discovered. The almonds that get ground with the rice elevate the taste of the pudding. The almonds act as a thickener too so the pudding gets thicker quicker. I let it set to a wobbly pudding. You can cook it some more if you like a thicker set variation. Try and set it in earthenware cups or kulhads. The earthiness is amazing. Try it!
Zafrani Phirini | Saffron Almond Indian Rice Pudding
Rich, creamy and delicious, this Zafrani Phirini | Saffron Almond Indian Rice Pudding is a delectable end to a meal. Egg free and gluten free, a generous dose of saffron makes the dessert shine.
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 4 hourshours35 minutesminutes
Servings 8people
Ingredients
2litres full cream milk
1/2cupbasmati ricerinsed
1/2cupwhole almonds
1tin condensed milk
1/4tsppinch saffron strands
Slivered almonds & pistachiosaffron strands and organic rose petals to garnish
Instructions
Place drained rice, whole almonds and 1 cup milk in jar of blender. Process until rice and almonds are well ground.
Stir this into the rest of the milk, and pour into a heavy bottom pan.
Stir in condensed milk
Place over low heat, and begin cooking, stirring almost continuously else the rice tends to get lumpy, and the condensed milk will catch the bottom of the pan.
Cook for about 25-30 minutes, STIRRING OFTEN, until the rice is cooked and the phirini/pudding is thick.
Take off heat and add a generous pinch of saffron. Stir well.
The phirini/pudding will continue to thicken as it cools. You might need to add a little milk as the absorption quality of rice differs. Once it gets to room temperature, ladle into earthenware bowls, individual serving bowls etc to set. Garnish with saffron strands, almond/pistachio slivers, rose petals etc.
Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake with Balsamic Cherries & Whipped Almond Cream … and how easy it was to bring the whole thing together using one basic magic machine in the kitchen. I’m talking about the Tefal Masterchef Gourmet that I recently received to review, and I have to say it is fab! Any new kitchen appliance is JOY for me, the prospects of using it to create something I enjoy, immense. Add to the experience the Tefal Hard Titanium Pan, and the joy doubled. I really enjoyed using the two.I’ve used Tefal products for a long time. Years ago when I worked with BA, I bought a lot of my appliances from the UK, and it was Tefal more often than never. I still have the Tefal Coffee Maker & Toaster for the 1990’s though it might well be a museum relic now! Just the nostalgia and connect to the days gone by made me happy to try the brand again now that it’s been launched in India.Unpacking the Tefal Masterchef Gourmet is like entering a candy shop. It has everything and more. The good thing about the machine is that it includes JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING you might need in the kitchen. Leaves you no requirement to buy additional appliances. I had to take a deep breath while unpacking as the bits and bobs seemed never-ending. I’ve yet to see a gourmet station that comes with a blender, slicer/shredder, meat mincer and juice extractor.I had to put it to use, and tried to churn out a cake using a few of the attachments. I have to say that the powerful 900W appliance did not disappoint. Seemed to do its job effortlessly and efficiently, with hardly any noise. My favourites were many, but the die cast beater that whipped up the cream to beautiful peaks won me over. Living here in India, that has to be one of the biggest challenges to making a layer cake with single whipping cream. {My secret is in the recipe below.}
Small amounts of cream just don’t get whipped up in large bowls, and often I reach for the electric hand beater. I like to make small desserts often for the family that are enjoyed and devoured quick. It gives me an opportunity to bake more often, keep experimenting and have fodder for the blog! It’s only when we have folk over that I need larger portions, and the large 4.6 litre capacity bowl works well for both.Thanks to its die cast beater and Flex Whisk Technology, the Masterchef Gourmet effortlessly whipped up the cream to beautiful peaks and made me SMILE! For me, that has to be the best thing ever. The appliance also effortlessly whips egg whites that are ultra fluffy and ultra airy, even from 1 egg up. That’s huge for me and for people who do home baking and need small portions. That it caters to larger portions as well is great!So I decided to experiment with a healthy chocolaty quinoa layer cake with a frosting, something much in line with my latest obsession of using whole grains. Add to it, the recent discovery of a love for quinoa, this was going to be fun. I put the blender to use for the quinoa, dark chocolate and wholegrain flour. The blender seemed light, yet was so efficient. It fits on top of the machine. It took me five minutes to figure out where it should go, but the French designed appliance had me covered. One look at the manual, and I found a neat hidden cap on the top.The appliance is very intuitive and fun to use. Within seconds, I had a crumb mix which I transferred into the large mixing bowl. In the next couple of minutes, I had batter. Really that simple! If you’d like a lighter cake, feel free to whip the single egg white separately, and fold it in gently towards the end.Flourless and wholegrain cakes generally have heavier crumbs, and it’s all a matter of taste. We love the bite and luxury whole grains offer. That said, I’m not a purist and I can’t wait to try a light as air sponge cake with the machine! Maybe that’s next!
While the cake was baking, I turned to the cherries. What a breeze. It aint no secret that I love good quality frying pans and this one from Tefal, the Hard Titanium Pan is my new love. Its Thermo-Spot ring turns full red when your pan reaches the right temperature for perfect searing. Fancy! The range has a pancake pan, a wokpan and 2 frypans.Also, you can use a metal spoon to stir, which is just so convenient. I don’t need to constantly switch between metal spoons I use everyday to special spatulas. And did I tell you that it’s easy clean? Yes, and how. I’m one of those who work in the kitchen and wash up everything and put them back when I’m done. The pan was a breeze to clean.So here’s the recipe, much in line with my current obsession of baking/cooking with whole grains and my hashtag of #makehalfyourgrainswhole. Happily, this is a trend that Tefal promotes too, “the emphasis is on family, sharing, and healthy ingredients“. You can make this cake eggless. Skip the egg, add a tbsp of yogurt but do note that the cake must be chilled and preferably not layered as the crumb is very delicate.You can also make it gluten free using oat flour instead of wholewheat flour. Same thing applies re the delicate crumb. Lastly, make this vegan by using coconut oil, coconut yogurt and coconut cream to experiment. I haven’t tried that yet but think of the immense possibilities. Once you have a kitchen appliance that works like magic sorted out, you can experiment endlessly! Have fun!
Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake with Balsamic Cherries & Whipped Almond Cream
Flourless and wholegrain cakes generally have heavier crumbs, and it's all a matter of taste. We love the bite and luxury whole grains offer. This Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake with Balsamic Cherries & Whipped Almond Cream is a simple one bowl cake. Topped with luscious whipped cream and seasonal cherries makes it a great tea or birthday cake. Recipe can be easily doubled.
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Total Time 3 hourshours5 minutesminutes
Servings 4people
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake
100gcooked quinoachilled
100gdark chocolatechopped, room temperature
50gwholewheat flour
50gclarified butter/ghee
100gjaggery
1egg
1tspvanilla extract
15gcocoa powder
1tspbaking powder
1tbspyogurt {dahi}
Balsamic cherries
300gcherriespitted
2-3tbspbrown sugar
1tbspbalsamic vinegar
1/2vanilla beanscraped {optional}
Simple Sugar Syrup
1/2cupWater
1/4cupraw sugar
1tbspKirsch {optional}
Whipped Almond Cream
200mlsingle creamchilled
30mlclarified butter/ghee
2-3tbspraw sugar
4-5drop almond extract
Topping
Fresh cherries
Sprigs of fresh mint
Instructions
Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake
Preheat the oven to 160C. Line the sides and base of a 4" springform round tin with parchment.
Place the quinoa, dark chocolate and wholewheat flour {or oats} in jar of Tefal blender. Attach to top of food processor and process for 10-15 seconds at a time, scraping down each time, until you get a breadcrumb like mix.
Place the above with remaining ingredients in the bowl of the Tefal Kitchen Masterchef Gourmet, with the paddle attachment fitted. Process on low speed for 30 seconds until you get a uniform mix. Don't overmix.
Transfer to prepared bowl. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Cool in tin for 20 minutes, then cool completely on rack. Cut into two horizontal layers.
Simple Sugar Syrup
While the cake is baking, place both the ingredients in the Tefal Hard Titanium Pan and keep over medium heat, stirring until the sugar melts. Stir in Kirsch if using. Transfer to a small jug {or bowl}, and use same pan for cherries.
Balsamic cherries
Place all the ingredients in the Tefal Hard Titanium Pan and keep over low heat, stirring often. Feel free to use a metal spoon. Cook down until the syrup is nice and thick and the cherries are deep red. Allow to cool completely, transfer to a bowl. Chill.
Whipped Almond Cream
Place all ingredients in bowl of Tefal Kitchen Masterchef Gourmet with the whisking attachment fitted. Whisk on the highest speed for 4-5 minutes until the cream thickens and holds peaks. Taste and adjust sweetness if required.
Assemble
Place the lower layer of the Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake on a serving platter, and moisten with simple sugar syrup.
Top with half the Whipped Almond Cream, then half the Balsamic Cherries. Moisten the other layer of the Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake with the sugar syrup and place on top.
Top with remaining cream. Garnish with fresh cherries and sprigs of fresh mint.
“But don’t forget, in the meantime, that this is the season for strawberries. Yes.”
Clarice Lispector
Baked White Chocolate Cheesecake with Mascarpone & Strawberries might well be my best cheesecake to date. Smooth, rich, indulgent, satisfying and quite impressive for something made so simple. It’s inspired of course by the Dark Chocolate Cheesecake which is an absolute winner recipe by Ruchira.I had to bake dessert the other day, another late decision, another fast track recipe. I wanted something different this time, something lighter, something more Spring. This was experimental, and we waited with baited breath while it was cut. One bite … and I knew it was a winner.It’s not always easy to throw in this and that, hoping things will work out. Sometimes stuff like this works, sometimes it’s a total disaster. This time around it was surprisingly a 100% success. There was nothing I’d change about this Baked White Chocolate Cheesecake with Mascarpone & Strawberries recipe, and I’m glad I took notes as I threw things in.As I mentioned earlier, I was really short on time. I first put the white chocolate into the Thermomix and blitzed it into a fine powder, then just added the remaining ingredients and stirred everything together. Ideally, like most cheesecake recipes with chocolate, you need to first melt and cool the chocolate before adding it to the batter. Well, this worked fine for me, so I think that’s yet another chocolate cheesecake shortcut will turn too often. If you have a sturdy food processor, then it takes less than a minute to grind chocolate really fine. Do try it this way too someday!This Baked White Chocolate Cheesecake is the easiest as the base doesn’t need to be baked separately. Leaves you a ton of time to figure out how to top it. Maybe too much time because I went a little indulgent. Well, to be honest, it was a special occasion bake, so some luxurious vanilla bean spiked mascarpone was much in place. Then of course the strawberries. So much you can do with them! This season in North India has seen an EXCELLENT strawberry crop, possibly the best ever. I’ve used them in just about everything, and they’re still falling off carts in the city. A quick jam like reduction, some balsamic, some vanilla, a dash of lime juice and sugar of course yielded a beautiful topping for the Baked White Chocolate Cheesecake.
Baked White Chocolate Cheesecake with Mascarpone &; Strawberries
Baked White Chocolate Cheesecake with Mascarpone & Strawberries might well be my best cheesecake to date. Smooth, rich, indulgent, satisfying and quite impressive for something made so simple. A quick jam like reduction, some balsamic, some vanilla, a dash of lime juice and sugar of course yielded a beautiful topping for the cheesecake.
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 9 hourshours15 minutesminutes
Servings 8people
Ingredients
Biscuit base
185gdigestives biscuits
25gjaggery {or brown sugar}
55gbutter
White Chocolate Filling
200gwhite baking chocolate melted
300gcream cheese
400mlsingle cream
20gcornflour
4eggs
1/2tspvanilla bean paste {or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract}
100graw sugar
Vanilla Mascarpone Cream
150gmascarpone cheese
25graw sugar
1/2tspvanilla bean paste
Strawberry Topping
250gstrawberrieschopped
Few sprigs fresh rosemary
100gsugar
1/2tspvanilla bean paste
1tbspbalsamic vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lime
Instructions
Biscuit base
Whiz the biscuits and jaggery in food processor until you get a fine meal. Add butter, whiz again to mix. Press into 7-8" loose bottom tin. Chill in the freezer while you get the filling ready, and the oven preheats.
White Chocolate Filling
Preheat oven to 160C.
Place all ingredients in bowl of food processor, and blend well to mix, 1-2 minutes on medium speed.
Pour into crust, and bake for an hour.
Cool completely in the oven, then chill covered in the fridge, preferably overnight.
Vanilla Mascarpone Cream
Place all ingredients in a large bowl an whisk until just mixed and smooth. Don't overmix. Spread over chilled cheesecake.
Strawberry Rosemary Topping
Place all ingredients except lime juice in a non reactive sauce pan. Simmer over low heat until it becomes jam like and reaches the desired consistency. Taste and adjust sweetness. Discard rosemary. Add lime juice if desired. Cool completely {Can be made a day ahead}. Top the Vanilla Mascarpone Cream with this.
Garnish with freshly sliced strawberries and fresh rosemary sprigs.
“If it’s not 100 per cent pure maple syrup, it can’t be called ‘pure maple syrup.”
Nancy Greene
Dark Chocolate Wholegrain Cupcakes with Maple Syrup Cream Cheese Frosting. It’s been forever since I baked cupcakes or muffins. I bake cakes and cookies more often I guess, possibly, lazy me. Yet when Spring comes and summer is round the corner, the first thing I reach out for are these gorgeous cupcake liners a sweet friend sent me. This time I also had on hand a 100% pure maple syrup from Canada.Both the liners and the syrup inspired me to ‘cupcake’ so here we go. These cupcakes are a 100% wholegrain which is what I mostly bake with now. I also almost always use natural sweeteners and this time I decided to use a pure maple syrup from Canada in the cupcakes. The flavours are subtle but the health benefits quite significant.Maple Syrup an excellent source of manganese and riboflavin {B2}, and a good source of magnesium and a source of calcium, potassium, sodium, copper and zinc. It offers a healthier alternative to regular sweeteners and sugar. You can easily replace white or brown sugar with an equivalent volume of maple syrup. Just reduce the quantity of liquid in the recipe accordingly {for each cup of maple syrup substituted, reduce liquid by a ¼ cup}. An alternative like maple syrup is a great addition to adding flavour and nutrition to food.It has an addictive earthy robust flavour. One sip, then another … and soon the little bottle is empty. That delicious!! Also it’s ideal for vegans. I did a version of granola with the 100% pure maple syrup and virgin coconut oil. Mmmmm! Do tell me if you’d like the recipe.
While using maple syrup is extremely easy in your morning pre-workout or post workout smoothie, I thought I’d try it in baking as well. I used it very easily in this granola I made but before that tried it in cupcakes. The cupcakes are a great on the go healthy snack, a tiffin box filler, and a great addition to the kids birthday party. That they are a 100% wholegrain and use natural sweeteners cannot be emphasized enough.I am currently working around a #makehalfyourgrainswhole theme. You can too. Before you cook,bake or make something, look at the list of ingredients and see how you can make it better. Make each ingredient count for itself. If it says empty calories, try and work out a better alternative.For instance, for the frosting for these cupcakes I reached out for the bottle of maple syrup to see if it would work. Yes it did! Just simple cream cheese with maple syrup offered a creamy delicious earthy cupcake frosting. It’s simple changes like this that will lead you to a healthier lifestyle. Take a step at a time…
Dark Chocolate Wholegrain Cupcakes with Maple Syrup Cream Cheese Frosting
These Dark Chocolate Wholegrain Cupcakes with Maple Syrup Cream Cheese Frosting are moist, chocolaty, and oh-so-satisfying. The frosting uses 100% Pure Maple Syrup from Canada.
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 25 minutesminutes
Servings 6muffins
Ingredients
Dry Mix
100gwholewheat flour {aata}
30gcocoa powder
1/2tspbaking powder
1/4tspbaking soda
Pinch salt
50gwalnuts, chopped
50gdark chocolate chips
Wet Mix
75gbutter
Zest of orange
50gbrown sugar
25mlGrade B maple syrup
1egg
1/4tspvanilla bean paste
100mlbuttermilk
Maple cream cheese frosting
150gcream cheese
3tbspGrade B maple syrup
Maple flakes to garnish {optional}
Instructions
Wholewheat dark chocolate muffins
Preheat oven to 180C
Place all ingredients for dry mix in a large bowl and stir well to mix. Reserve.
Place all the wet mix ingredients EXCEPT buttermilk in bowl of stand mixer. Whisk for 2-3 minutes on medium high speed.
Add the dry ingredients alternatively with the buttermilk in 3 lots. Stir until mixed. Don't overmix.
Turn into 6-8 cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes until done.
Eat as is, warm or at room temperature. Cool completely if you wish to frost them.
Maple cream cheese frosting
Place cream cheese and maple syrup in a large bowl
Whisk with an electric hand beater until smooth. Transfer to piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe over cupcakes.
