Baked

Hope your week is off to a good start! I've got heaps of photo editing to do, and deadlines looming. Oh well, nothing a cupcake can't help.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream - makes 12 cupcakes

150g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar (I used raw cane sugar)
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup almond meal
1 cup all purpose or whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

To make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350f/180c. Lightly spray a 12 cup muffin tin with vegetable oil, or line with paper liners (I didn't seem to have any of those kicking around).
Beat butter and sugar, with an electric mixer, until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until well combined.

Pour in milk and almond meal, and blend. Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt, and mix together until well combined.

Scoop batter into cups evenly and bake for about 20 minutes or until a skewer, inserted in centre, comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Coconut Buttercream
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups icing sugar
2 teaspoons coconut extract
2 tablespoons coconut milk
unsweetened coconut to sprinkle on tops

To make buttercream: Beat the butter, with an electric mixer, until smooth and creamy. With mixer on low speed, slowly add the icing sugar, a little at a time, then coconut extract, and coconut milk. If it's too thick, add a little more coconut milk. Spread over top of cupcake, then sprinkle with coconut. Enjoy!

Have a great day! Back soon.
Janis

PS
I've done a "behind-the-scenes" of a photo shoot for The Cross, over at Poppytalk today. It was so much fun!