May Cupcake Hero - Cocoa

The theme for cupcake hero for May is cocoa. I found this quite a tricky challenge as I wanted to make something in which cocoa was the necessary ingredient, not just chocolate. For a long time now I have wanted to make a filled cupcake and when I was thinking of cocoa, I thought of chocolate self saucing pudding – one of my childhood puddings that Mum used to make on a regular basis, where the star is cocoa. Cocoa is a necessary ingredient of the self saucing part – you cant substitute chocolate. So, my cupcakes for this month are chocolate self saucing pudding cupcakes.

I decided to make a plain vanilla cake as the basis for the cupcake, then scooped out the centre and filled with cold chocolate self saucing pudding. I wanted there to be a contrast between the pudding and the cake and I didn’t think I would get that by having a chocolate cake as well. The topping is simply, whipped cream and then a sprinkle of dutched cocoa powder.



I only made a half recipe of chocolate self saucing and I made it in the microwave. Five minutes on high and you get a pretty simple pudding made. I do prefer the crustiness you get when you cook it in the oven but for using it as a cupcake filling, the microwave was fine.



I used dutched cocoa to make the pudding. Dutching cocoa is a process which I think makes the cocoa more alkaline (don’t quote me on this!). The cocoa has a much stronger and chocolatey flavour. I use it where I want to add depth to whatever I am making. I use equagold (an NZ company) dutched cocoa.

I used the crabapple bakery vanilla cupcake recipe, adding vanilla paste to get those little flecks of vanilla bean that I love. These cupcakes are great. They are definitely like eating pudding for morning tea. If you don’t want to make the cupcakes, just make the pudding. If I am making it by itself, I add chocolate chunks and cook it in the oven for a nicer texture. These cupcakes are really yummy - especially with the whipped cream on top!



Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding Cupcakes

First of all make the pudding and leave it in the fridge over night

½ c flour
1 tbsp dutched cocoa
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
¼ c milk
1 tbsp melted butter
dash of vanilla essence

· Stir dry ingredients together, then stir in milk, butter and vanilla
· Pour into a microwave proof dish
· Mix together1/2 c brown sugar and 1 tbsp dutched coca and sprinkle over batter
· Pour over 1 ¼ c boiling water
· Microwave on full power for 5 minutes

Make vanilla cupcakes – I used this recipe, using vanilla instead of rose water. Once cold, scoop out the centre and fill with pudding. Top with whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder.