Decadent Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting.....and celebrating Rakhi!!

No celebration in our house is complete without a cake whatever might be the occasion. 

Yesterday we celebrated the festival of Raksha Bandhan (or Rakhi as it is popularly known) in our house and it goes without saying that there had to be cake and that too without question a chocolate one!!

The festival of Rakhi is a traditional Hindu festival celebrated with great enthusiasm across India. It symbolizes the unconditional love and bond between brothers and sisters. In this festival, the sister ties a colorful thread on the wrist of her brother, praying for his long life and he in turn vows to protect her from all troubles. 'Raksha' means protection and 'Bandhan' means ties, thus the name Raksha bandhan. Its a very sentimental occasion, full of love and emotion and an opportunity for the families to get together and celebrate, wear traditional clothes and prepare special dishes. Of course, for some who are not able to meet, sisters make sure that the Rakhis are mailed to their brothers so that they can reach on time and their brothers can wear the thread of love send by their sisters on the auspicious day. 

photo source: internet

For me too, Rakhi was a much awaited occasion and was always celebrated with great enthusiasm. We got new clothes and mom always prepared a special fare for us to feast on. 

I got to tie Rakhi to my twin elder brothers. I know some of you might be thinking, how lucky I must be to have twin elder brothers to protect and look after me but when younger I thought otherwise. Though I love them both intensely, at that time, I thought having twins for brothers wasn't exactly all that great. 
I was so envious of them as being twins they always had each other for company and I was perpetually ignored and pushed away most of the time especially being younger by 31/2 years. Also being a girl it was automatically decided by my brothers that I was useless and didn't know anything.  Twins have a certain affinity and closeness and when together they need no other companion around. Because of these very reasons, I used to pester my mom all the time that why I too couldn't have a sister to play with. 
Even when we got into a fight (which was often), it always used to be them against me. Though I wasn't one to give in easily and gave it my all in the battlefield - pulling hair, biting and kicking anything to give me a upper hand.

I used to follow them relentlessly everywhere they went and wanted to be included in whatever they did or played. Poor guys!! Now that I actually come to think of it, it must be pretty embarrassing for them to have a little sister tagging along with them all the times and inspite of their best efforts to throw me off their trail, I used to be like their shadow. (Maybe things would have been different, if in those times time we too had video games and internet to distract me!!) To make matters worse, I was my dad's pet and whatever mischief or untoward incident happened that was supposed to be kept hushed, was promptly rattled off to him on his coming home from office. Gosh!! I must have been a total pest and what a tough time I must have given my poor brothers!! No hard feelings Bros!! I totally understand it now and genuinely feel really sorry for you guys.

I must say, inspite of all my complaints and feeling sorry for myself, I have had some really wonderful times too to look back on. I remember as a child, travelling on the train in the first class compartment was always so much fun, never a dull or boring moment, playing cards and jumping from one berth to another. At home, we used to keep busy playing board games together for hours (of course it usually didn't end nicely whenever I lost or got out), with them I learnt to climb the toughest of trees, I still remember as a 9 year old, how we would walk up the mountains in 'Khunmoh' in Srinagar from one army post to another, a little later when dad was posted in Bareilly, going for cycling together to the swimming pool and also for horse riding early in the mornings, playing 'pittuh' on the road and hide and seek and dark room whenever there was a power cut!! My love for playing games and outdoor sports began early on in life and you know by now whom do I have to thank it for. What lovely treasure troves of childhood memories to cherish!! 

We also had great fun planning for festivals, during Dussheras collecting things to build our own effigy of 'Ravana' and filling it with crackers, then waiting with excitement to light it up at night, planning for 'Holi' days in advance and then getting up really early in the morning to fill water balloons and buckets with colored water so that we could all hide near the gate and target unsuspecting passer-bys, cracking  loads of crackers at Diwali and competing who had the courage to burst the most dangerous one. God!! such sweet memories and they will always remain precious to me.

Having elder brothers has taught me for one thing to be strong and confident and never to take any nonsense from anyone and most important to feel that nothing really is impossible even if you were a girl!! Luckily for me my parents treated me no less than my brothers and I was not stopped to do anything or go anywhere. 

Now each one of us has got busy with our lives and responsibilities with everyone staying in different parts of the country. Over the past few years, there have only been a handful of occasions, when I have tied Rakhi to my brothers personally. But inspite of the time and distance, I want both of you to know that you are missed terribly and I will always have all my love and prayers for your long and healthy life!!

What better occasion than Raksha bandhan to reconfirm our love and special bond. I feel blessed to have you as my brothers and the blessing has increased manifold as now I have two lovely sister-in-laws whom I get along with like a house on fire. I think its God's way of imparting justice to me and finally giving me sisters which I always longed for!!

My son and daughter celebrating Rakhi 

To commemorate the auspicious occasion of Rakhi I made a chocolate cake for my kids.  Its a rich, beautifully moist and utterly decadent, infact the best chocolate cake I have tasted!! Truly a special treat for a special occassion.

Ingredients

For the cake

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon espresso coffee powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 tbsp vinegar

2 large eggs

1 cup boiling water

1 tbsp vanilla essence

For the Chocolate buttercream frosting (enough to cover and fill a 9" cake)

11/2 sticks (170 gms) unsalted Butter softened

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

21/2 cup confectioners sugar

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp coffee powder 

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

In a large mixing bowl sieve together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder or put the ingredients in a bowl of a stand mixer and whisk using your paddle attachment, on low speed until well combined.

Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla essence to the flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. 

Add in the boiling water and whisk till thoroughly mixed.

Don't worry if at this point your cake batter is looking too runny. Avoid the temptation to add in more flour. Trust me!!

Pour the batter in a greased 9" spring form pan.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

To make the icing

Add cocoa and the softened butter to a large bowl.

With a hand mixer mix thoroughly for 1-2 minutes till it reaches a smooth consistency.

Add in the sugar, vanilla and milk to cocoa mixture and mix thoroughly with the hand mixer on low speed. Turn the speed on high and mix for about a minute till the consistency is smooth and creamy. Make sure there are no lumps in the batter.

If the batter appears thin add in some more confectioners, spoon by spoon until it reaches the right consistency.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

"Cookie is the answer.... who cares what the question is..."

Exams over and the kids (and their parents!!) can breathe easy again for some time.

To celebrate the end of her confinement, my daughter had a sleepover planned at our house with two of her closest friends. Having the advantage of being in the same school for over 10 years (for a person like me who has changed over 11 different schools because of my father being in the army, I feel my children are blessed to have the opportunity to continue in the same school for the past so many years). This also means that, apart from being saved from going through the trouble of changing schools every year or two years in addition to having to make the effort to make new friends (which being an introvert I found pretty stressful), they were extremely fortunate to literally grow up with the same group of friends and form a close bond over the years. 

Sadly, now school is over for my daughter and her friends and they have to part ways as each one of them has to choose a path that will lead them to their destiny. But that does not necessarily mean that they have to say their final good-bye's. I am sure their paths will cross again and knowing them they will always be there for each other. The sweet memories of their schooldays will forever be there for them to cherish in their hearts. God bless them and may they all be successful in whatever endeavor they choose and whichever path they plan to tread on.

With 4 teenagers in the house I knew my ammunition needed to be ready in the kitchen. Not wanting to spend the whole day in the kitchen, I planned on making goodies which could be had as small bites and most importantly be made without much effort.

I got down to work and by the time the army arrived I was completely ready for the kitchen raid with chocolate chip cookies, pizza rolls and a chocolate cake lying ready in the refrigerator for the hungry battalion to feed on their nightly escapades.

I was happy and satisfied as the chocolate chip cookies, which I adapted from Betty Crocker were a big hit with the girls. More so because they were such a breeze to make. 

I added an extra egg and opted out of adding nuts as I know few kids (read my son) totally dislike nuts. I also upped the chocolate content by adding in extra cocoa powder and chocolate chunks which I knew would hit the right spot with the kids.

Ingredients (makes about 15-20 medium sized cookies)
100 gms Butter or Margarine
11/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1 egg
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 tsp baking soda
11/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup small chocolate chunks

 Method
Heat oven to 180 C.
In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar till smooth.
Stir in vanilla essence and egg and beat till light and fluffy.
Stir in the oats, flour, baking soda and salt.
Stir in the chocolate chips and the chocolate chunks.
Onto a greased cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded tablespoon about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10 -12 minutes or until golden brown.
Place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Note; Cookie dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. If it becomes too firm, let stand at room temperature.

Banana and Honey Chocolate Cake

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt......

I know looking at this cake you must be thinking I have gone bananas - this cake doesn't spell 'banana cake' from any angle and looks more like a strawberry cake. Actually the strawberries are there purely for ornamental purpose - to add some color and to 'pretty-up' the cake a bit. Apart from that, they also feature on the top list of my dear daughter's favorite fruit. 

My daughters 12th class board exams ended 5 days back and I baked this cake to surprise her when she returned back home after giving her last exam. To celebrate the occasion, I decided to make a cake with all her favorite things - Chocolate, Chocolate and more Chocolate!! And of course the whipped cream and strawberries added to the glam. The smile on her face on seeing the cake was enough to tell me what she thought of it.

I think the word 'BOARDS' must be unanimously voted as the most detested and dreaded word by all school students especially twelfthies. Throughout the year, I think they never get to hear the end of this word and for most, every request is echoed with the logic, "But, its your board year, sweetie", "this is the most crucial year of your life, so you just need to focus", "concentrate on your studies so you can get into a good college of your choice", "the little effort you put in now will make your life".....and it goes on and on. Poor kids, I feel so bad for them. So much pressure from everyone and everywhere!!(Unfortunately, I too stand guilty of this act).

But thankfully, the tension and stress is finally over. I think the last year of school is just a way to prepare them for bigger challenges ahead in life - a stepping stone for more beautiful things to come into their life. Every child is special in their own way and I am sure destiny has something in their kitty for each one of them

                                     
So this special chocolatey cake is for my  special girl - our little princess!! May the future hold beautiful things for her and she always gets to live her dream. And of course.... life always has lots of chocolate cakes to offer.

                                              Whatever dreams you're dreaming,

May each one of them come true.

Whatever plans you're making,

May they all work out for you.

And may you have more happiness

Than any words can tell.

Not only on this day,

But all the year as well.

May you have a little sunlight

to guide you on your way.

May you discover, little by little,

happiness that's here to stay.

May you grow a little stronger

and a little wiser with each dawn

May you have a little time to

believe in dreams to dream upon

May all the joy your heart desires

find its way to you.

And may the blessings that brighten up your days

keep on shining through.

Ingredients

100 gms sugar
100 gms Margarine
3 eggs
2 Tbsp honey
3 ripe bananas, mashed
100 gms flour
2 Tsp baking powder
1 Tsp cinnamon powder
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 Tbsp coffee powder
50 gms chocolate chips dusted with a little flour

Method
Preheat oven to 180 C.
Gently heat the margarine on the gas or microwave for a minute till melted. Keep aside to cool.
With the hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar for 5-6 minutes untill light and fluffy.
Sieve the flour, baking powder, cocoa, coffee and cinnamon.
Fold it gently into the egg mixture till well mixed. 
Add the mashed bananas, honey and the melted margarine and mix well till incorporated.
Lastly add in the chocolate chips and stir the mixture gently till well mixed.
Pour the mixture in a greased baking tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 30-35 minutes till done.
Serve it frosted with your favorite icing.

Chocolate Dream Cake

The most beautiful thing in this world is to see your parents smiling, and knowing that you are behind that smile. 

It is almost next to impossible to match all that your parents have done for you in their lifetime, but even a little something that can bring a smile to their faces makes the effort worth it.

It was my parents anniversary last month and and I had the opportunity to make their anniversary cake for them, a cake which I wanted to be really special. 

Any birthdays or anniversaries in our family and it has to be, without a doubt, a chocolate cake. So at least that part was decided. Searching for a good recipe for a chocolate cake I hit upon the 'Chocolate and Peanut butter Dream Cake' on The Novice Chef's blog. Dream Cake!! the very name of the cake sounded intriguing. I read through the recipe and found it different from any other chocolate cake recipe I had ever tried before and interesting enough to make me want to try it. 
I wasn't sure if mom and dad would be too keen on the peanut butter flavor so I decided to play it safe and do a simple whipped cream and chocolate ganache icing to decorate the cake.
I had finished the final chocolate ganache layer on the cake, when on an impulse I decided to make a chocolate lace border around the cake. How difficult could it be? I had seen Deeba from Passionate about baking use these beautiful delicate chocolate lace borders quite often for decorating her cakes and they looked absolutely stunning. I have been enticed with these borders since a long time and finally decided to take the plunge and try my hand at making them. 
I carefully read and followed the instructions on Deeba's blog and to my utter surprise found that the border was a breeze to make. It was so simple to make yet made a world of difference to the final look of the cake. The border added finesse and elegance to the cake, taking the cake to a whole new classy level.
I was mighty pleased with how my had cake turned out - a fitting tribute for my parent's anniversary and seeing the smile on my parents face on seeing the cake, I knew I had nailed it. 
And to add to my happiness the cake tasted as good as it looked. A perfect dream cake!!

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
140 gms dark chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
For the Filling
2 cups whipped cream
1 cup chocolate ganache
1/2 cup dulce de leche (optional) -I had some leftover from the banoffee pie. Recipe here
To make the Chocolate Ganache
150 ml cream (I used Amul)
200 gms dark chocolate
For the Chocolate lace border
100 gms dark chocolate
Parchment paper

 Method
To make the cake
Preheat oven to 180 C.
Sieve together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
In a medium sauce pan, combine water and sugar over medium heat. 
Bring to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves about 1 minute.
Remove from heat and add chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally, until melted.
Whisk in vegetable oil and vanilla extract.
Quickly beat in the eggs (do this quickly so that the eggs do not cook) into the chocolate mixture until combined.
Whisk in dry ingredients, until smooth.
Divide batter evenly between two pans and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pans completely before frosting.

To Assemble the cake
Now that your cakes are baked and cooled completely it is time to assemble them.
First make the chocolate ganache. Place the cream and chocolate over medium heat and stir until the chocolate is melted. Take it off heat and whisk with a spoon till smooth and shiny. Keep aside. It will thicken as it cools.
Whisk  together the chocolate ganache with the dulce de leche till smooth and well mixed.
Now cover one half of the cake with a thick layer of the ganache mixture.

Spoon a generous dollop of whipped cream over the ganache and smoothen to cover completely.

Place the other cake layer on top of the cream and press gently to make it level. With a small spatula, spread the cake with 1 1/2 cups more of whipped cream and spread it to cover completely the top and sides of the cake. Don't worry about it being too smooth right now as it has to be covered with some more yumminess (drool!!). Freeze for 30 minutes.

Pour the warm chocolate ganache (heat it slightly if it has thickened) over the top of the chilled cake - allowing it to drizzle over the sides. With a spatula or a flat knife quickly run around the edges of the cake to give a smooth finish.

Let the glaze harden for 30 minutes. 

Decorate with piped swirls and serve. 

Or if you feel like being a little adventurous like me, make this chocolate lace border to place around your cake. Believe me it is amazingly simple and elevates your decorated cake to a whole new level.

To make the chocolate lace border : 

Cut the butter paper according to the height of the border you would like. 

For the circumference just measure around the baking tin you baked your cake in. 

Melt the chocolate for about 2 minutes in your microwave. 

Put the melted chocolate in a piping bag and make a spiral design (I made a random freehand squiggle. You can trace a design on the paper if you want something specific)

Wait for it to almost set (It will take less than a minute to set so you have to work quickly before it hardens). 

Then wrap it around the cake and press gently to the sides of the iced cake. 

Gently peel off the paper. 

And Voila!! You have a masterpiece on your hands.

My Parents by Brittany S. Wright 

(Source: Love Poem For Parents, )

You are both special in every way,

Encouraging me more & more each passing day.

You both are the reason why I'm so strong,

With you two a the helm not a thing could go wrong.

You've both helped me through many trials & tribulations,

You’ve made things better in every situation.

Thank you both for always being there,

And showing me that you truly care.

Words could never explain how I feel about you,

But I hope you know that I truly love you two!

Squidgy Chocolate Cake - A Tribute To My Mom

 “A mother is someone who dreams great dreams for you, but then she lets you chase the dreams you have for yourself and loves you just the same.”                                                                                                      

A special cake for a special woman in my life!! 

It was my mom's birthday some time back  and it had to be a cake as special as she is.

I had this cake at Big Chill and immediately fell in love with it. One bite into this lusciously rich squidgy chocolate cake and I was totally lost in its soft velvety smooth layers. Mmmmmmm..... can life get any better than this?

At first I wondered why it was called a squidgy cake??  Though I loved the sound of it  "squidgy"- "kinda cute", but seriously what an odd name to call such a beautiful piece of work. It is only after eating the cake I realized that the name was apt as the cake is so soft and spongy that it literally merges in with the filling and becomes one soft, squishy delightful chocolate mesh. This had to be the cake for mom!! 

My search for the perfect Chocolate squidgy cake landed me on Delias page and going through her recipe, I realized that it was quite simple and achievable. What was surprising though that in the recipe there was no flour required for the cake. Cake baked with just cocoa, eggs and sugar? Could that even be possible? I just had to try this recipe out. 

And what a dynamite it turned out to be!! 

The cake was extremely light and soft almost sponge like. Contrary to my expectations that a cake baked without any flour would be really light and crumbly, I was quite surprised as the cake inspite of being soft was firm and held itself really well. The souffle like chocolate mousse alongwith the whipped cream filling complemented the cake fantastically, making it a winner all the way.

If you too want to wow someone really special or want to envelop yourself in a complete chocolate heaven, this is the way to do it.

Even though this post is delayed (embarrassingly so), my sentiments are strong. This post is dedicated to my dear mom who has always been my pillar of strength, supporting me, guiding me, teaching me to always stand up for what I believe is right, moving me in the right direction to mold me into the person I am today. 

Her philosophy in life is simple like her desires and mirrored in these words by James Fadiman - “Be kind to people whether they deserve your kindness or not. If your kindness reaches the deserving good for you, if your kindness reaches the undeserving take joy in your compassion.” 

Mom, I wish I can be half the person you are and am able to instill the same values in my children too. Even though we might not agree sometimes,  I just want you to know how much I cherish the beautiful times we spend together. Thanks for everything you have done and still do for me.  I love you.

As I Look Back

As I look back on my life
I find myself wondering.....
Did I remember to thank you
for all that you have done for me? For all of the times you were by my side
to help me celebrate my successes
and accept my defeats?
Or for teaching me the value of hard work,
good judgement, courage, and honesty?
I wonder if I've ever thanked you for the simple things...
The laughter, smiles, and quiet times we've shared?
If I have forgotten to express my gratitude
For any of these things,
I am thanking you now....
and I am hoping that you've known all along,
how very much you are loved and appreciated.

Ingredients
For the cake:
6 large eggs, separated
150 gms castor sugar
50 gms cocoa powder
For the filling:
225 gms dark chocolate
2 Tbsp water
2 large eggs, separated
250 gms double cream, softly whipped
To Decorate:
100 gms dark chocolate chopped

Method:

Make the chocolate filling:  

Put the broken up chocolate and water in a pan over a pan of barely simmering water, without the bowl touching the water. When the chocolate has melted (5-10 minutes), take it off the heat and beat with a wooden spoon till smooth. 

Next separate two of the eggs and beat the yolks, first on their own, then into the chocolate mixture. Let it cool a bit.

Now, with an absolutely clean whisk, whisk the egg whites till stiff and gently fold them into the chocolate mixture. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes. 

Then remove from the fridge, or it will get too stiff

For the Cake:  

First separate the remaining six large eggs, putting the egg yolks and whites in separate bowls. Whisk the egg yolks with an electric beater until they begin to thicken. Then add the castor sugar and continue whisking until the mixture starts to thicken – but don’t overdo it, it shouldn't be starting to turn pale. 

Now quickly whisk in the cocoa powder and mix well. 

Next, using a clean dry whisk, beat the egg whites till they are stiff and form little peaks. Then, take a metal spoon and carefully fold them into the egg yolk mixture, gently and thoroughly. 

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, spread it evenly with the back of a tablespoon and bake it in the oven for about 20–25 minutes until risen and puffy like a soufflé (it won’t look as if it’s cooked – but it will be). 

Remove it from the oven and don’t be alarmed as it starts to sink because it’s supposed to be – when it is cool, it will look crinkly on the surface. 

To turn the cake out, place a piece of baking parchment on a flat surface. Then, before you turn it out, gently loosen the sides of the cake away from the liner, and turn it out onto the paper.  Lift the tin away from the cake and carefully peel off the lining. 

Now cut the cake evenly in half (not length ways – i.e. you need to end up with two squarish oblongs). As I wanted my cake round and a little height to my cake and a, so I made a second cake using the same recipe.

To Assemble the cake Whip the cream until quite thick. Now place one half of the cake on a serving plate, then, using a palette knife, spread half the chocolate mixture over one half of the cake, and about a quarter of the cream over the chocolate and sprinkle it with half of the chopped chocolate. Place the other half of the cake on top, pressing it down firmly. Now spread the rest of the chocolate mixture on top, and then cover the whole cake (sides as well) with whipped cream.  I wanted to make it more chocolately, so I covered the cake with a layer of Chocolate ganache.
You can skip this step and instead serve the cake covered with whipped cream and sprinkled with chopped chocolate.

Chocolate Cupcakes

My son's exams got over two days back and it just feels like a climb up Mt.Everest and back. I think all mothers would share my feeling here, that the exams are more to torture the mothers than the kids. The past month was a nightmare, with the constant reminders, the repetitive requests, the angry outbursts, anything to make your child divert his attention towards his books - an attempt which I wouldn't say I was quite successful at. Only thing it left behind was a bad headache and a lot of stress. Sometimes you really think whether it was actually worth going through all that effort. Well!! Only time can tell that!!

After a month of being confined to the house, there was a huge sense of relief for everyone and a definate feeling of freedom. It was an added bonus for my son, that the next day was a holiday (2nd October being Gandhi Jayanti) and I was told that to celebrate the end of exams, he had invited his friend over for a sleepover. He was really excited and over long phone calls big plans were made, amongst which Nerf gun fight, watching movies and playing all night on the PS3 stood on the top of the list. I was requested (very sweetly) to stock up my grocery cupboard (which invariably stays empty because of two hungry teens in the house) and I was promptly handed over a long list of things for the night time party. In addition, I also decided to make a chocolate cake and cupcakes with the mandatory chocolate icing which I knew the boys would love and would make a perfect munch for a quick bite in between their 'very' busy schedule. 

The smiles on their faces on looking at the tray of cupcakes was worth a million bucks and as for my son - he declared the "Best Mom ever' for 'that day'!!

These cupcakes are super moist and wickedly chocolately and topped with the chocolate ganache they are sure to win everyone's heart over.

Ingredients

4 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

11/2 cup flour

11/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup grated dark choclate

1 tsp coffee

1 cup milk  mixed with 1 tbsp vinegar

2 tbsp strawberry crush

2 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 cup canola oil

For the chocolate frosting

11/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup cream

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.

In a large bowl sift the flour, coffee powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Stir in the milk.

On a medium speed, beat oil and sugar till smooth.

Add the eggs one in at a time, blending in till smooth.

Keeping the mixer speed on slow, add 1/2 of the dry ingredients alternating with 1/2 of the milk.

Add 1/2 of the remaining dry ingredients followed by rest of the milk.

Do not overbeat.

Add the chopped chocolate, strawberry crush and the vanilla essence and mix gently till combined.

Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners.

Bake at 180C  for 15-20 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool thoroughly before frosting.

To make the Ganache:

Bring the cream to a boil. Take the pan off the heat and add in the grated chocolate. Stir well till the chocolate melts completely and the mixture appears smooth and glossy. Use this chocolate ganache to cover your cupcakes.