by: Corina Muhammad for Lekkco
These light and fluffy cupcakes are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. Top with Lekkco Buttercream Frosting for the ultimate double chocolate cupcake. I honestly had a blast creating this recipe because it granted me the opportunity to scientifically create (I’m nerdy, I know) a cake that was light and fluffy yet not too sweet. Currently, I am in culinary school and I have been learning a ton about how ingredients react with each other to achieve certain flavors and textures. This recipe was the first test of my knowledge outside of the classroom and I’m so excited to share it with you!I am going to start off by saying that this is not a simple recipe but it is rather easy. I’d say it is at a moderate difficulty, but a novice can figure it out. Preheat your oven so you won’t have to wait for it to be preheated at the end, but it won’t be the end of the world if you forget. Start out with all your ingredients at room temperature. This will help to better incorporate the butter with the Lekkco and the egg whites will whip up faster. The milk does not have to be room temperature. You’re going to start by creaming the butter and Lekkco together on medium-low speed for 2 to 3 minutes, it will look smooth and shiny. Cream in the sugar on medium speed for 8-10 minutes until it is light and fluffy. When I last made this recipe I happened to use both my stand mixer and my hand mixer, even though it is not necessary. So, while I waited for the sugar to cream into the mixture, I whipped the egg whites in a separate bowl on high speed for about 3-5 minutes and set it aside. You want the egg whites to form stiff peaks. Once the mixture was light and fluffy, I mixed in the egg yolk one at a time on medium speed making sure the first is fully combined before adding another. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. In another separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. At this point you may have noticed that I added espresso powder. The espresso powder is going to add a richer flavor to the cake but it won’t overpower it. This is going to get a bit tedious, moving forward so be patient, it will be worth it in the end. On medium-low speed, add ¼ of the dry mixture into the main mixture until combined then add ⅓ of the milk until combined. Repeat this process until you use up all the dry ingredients and milk. Do not overmix the batter. With a rubber spatula, you want to fold in the egg whites, making sure to be gentle so that you do not deflate the whites. I was to emphasize folding so that you are mindfully combining the batter. This is my favorite part, it’s almost meditative and makes me feel like a pro. So anyways, do not overfold this, you want to continue until just combined and smooth. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake tins and spoon in ¼ cup of batter into each tin. Smooth over the tops evenly. If you want to make a two-tiered cake instead, grease and line 2-8 inch cake rounds. However, the cooking time will vary so keep an eye out for it. For the cupcakes, bake them for 15 minutes then flip the pan and bake for another 10 minutes. This will ensure that all the cupcakes are baked evenly because oven qualities may vary. Poke a few cupcakes in the center with wooden toothpick or skewer an if it comes out clean, your cupcakes are done! Let them cool completely before you frost them because the frosting will melt if they are too warm. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Lekkco Chocolate Cupcakes
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Some of our favorite ways to use Lekkco are in the recipes our friends have shared with us. Email us at Hello@Lekkco.com to share your recipe.