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Cocoa And Macadamia Nut Cupcakes

Published 28 February 2013 by Veronica Stillwater

Cocoa And Macadamia Nut Cupcakes With Easy Piping Detail!

This week I opted for a quick and easy to do recipe and chose an easy piping detail. These are heavenly chocolate cupcakes with the added delightful crunchy texture from the macadamias. You can whip them up in no time for a quick and delicious cupcake treat. The piping detail is simple to do and anyone of any cake decorating level of skill can give these a go for a treat for your family, friends or guests. This week's taste testers were delighted at the chocolate and nut combination as well as the glossy and luxurious buttercream topping and all were asking if there were seconds available. Naughty! But a wonderful compliment gladly received. Hope you enjoy this week's recipe.

 

For the cupcakes:

You will need:

Food processor

Spatula

12 paper muffin cases

12 cup muffin baking tray

Tablespoon

Teaspoon

 

Ingredients:

180g self raising flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

3 medium eggs

110g caster sugar

110g butter or margarine

120ml full fat milk

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

200g Macadamia nuts roughly chopped

　

Turn on the oven and set to 180º in temperature. Place the paper muffin cases into the 12 cup muffin baking tray.

Place the butter and sugar into the bowl of the food processor and blend on a high speed setting until light, pale and fluffy. With the exception of the macadamia nuts, add the remaining ingredients and blend on a high speed setting until a spoon dropping consistency is achieved. Add the macadamia nuts and pulse blitz for approx 30 seconds to incorporate. Spoon a tablespoon of the mixture into each of the paper muffin cases in your prepared 12 cup muffin baking tray. Place the cupcakes in the oven near or just above the middle shelf and allow to bake for approx 30 – 40 minutes. Checking at 30 minutes cooking time on their progress. The cakes will appear golden, will have risen and be firm to the touch.

You can always test by inserting a clean skewer into one of the cakes, if it comes out clean they are ready, if not return to the oven checking with the skewer again at 5 minute intervals. (Always really important never to open the oven door and allow any air in before 30 minutes of cooking as this will allow for the mixture to 'drop' and sink, look through the oven door if you have one that's made of glass to visually check on their progress rather than open the door). Once baked, using oven gloves remove the baking tray from the oven and rest on a trivet until completely cooled.

 

 

For the buttercream topping:

You will need:

Food processor

Spatula

Piping bag

Small open star nozzle

 

Ingredients:

100g butter (At room temperature)

750g Icing sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons hot water

 

With the exception of 1 tablespoon of hot water, place all the ingredients in the food processor and blend on a high speed setting until a smooth consistency. Depending on humidity conditions you may need to add the other tablespoon of hot water and if the right consistency there will be no need for it to be added. Switch the machine off, remove the lid and use the spatula to scoop the buttercream from the bowl of the processor and into the piping bag ready with your small open star nozzle.

Pipe a swirl on one side of the cupcake by starting to pipe in one spot and piping in a spring like motion, until you come back over the start point with the new piping, stop applying pressure and pull the bag up and away quickly to finish and form a peak. Pipe a star next to the swirl, start to pipe in the one spot applying moderate pressure and allowing the bag to lightly be pulled up towards you very slowly to allow the frosting to flow and a peak formation to appear. Stop applying pressure and pull the piping bag up and away quickly to finish. To finish covering the cupcakes with the chocolate buttercream, pipe a wavy line just above the swirl and star shapes to cover another third of the top of the cupcake, start at one point working from left to right if right handed, and just allow the frosting to flow freely whilst applying moderate pressure. Then pipe another wavy line above the last to finish. The other cupcakes that have the wavy effect in the opposite direction are piped in the same way just with the direction of the peaks and troughs of the wave instead of being in a flat position, an upright position instead. Repeat and decorate the other cupcakes until all are topped with the buttercream piping. Ready to serve and enjoy! Until next week, happy baking and decorating!