Egg And Butter-free Chocolate Cardamom Espresso Cupcakes
This is such a super simple & quick recipe & one you can whip up with whatever you have in. Very versatile, it can be used in different ways & made Vegan. dairy-free, egg-free & lactose free. A great base chocolate cake recipe, this time with cardamom giving just a hint of a ginger feel, pairing perfectly with an espresso buttercream.
Equipment
- Scales or measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Small Jug (optional)
- Large mixing bowl
- Stand or Hand Mixer (not essential)
- Sieve
- 12-hole Cupcake tray/sheet
- 12 cupcake/muffin paper cases
- Timer or Phone Timer
- Cooling rack
- Mixing spoon(s)
- Wooden Cocktail stick
- Piping bag or syringe & nozzle
- Clean Tea-towel
Ingredients
FOR THE CUPCAKE BATTER
- 209 grams Self-raising Flour (7¼ oz, 1⅔ cups - alternatively All Purpose or Plain Flour plus 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking Soda plus 1¼ tsp Vinegar *see note below)
- 200 grams Sugar (half granulated & half light brown) (7 oz, 1cup/1 packed cup)* see below for variations
- 31 grams Cocoa Powder (1 oz, 1/4 cup)
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Espresso Powder (For Instant coffee granules use 1½ tsp)
- 240 ml Milk (8 fl oz, 1 cup - Any milk, lactose/dairy free or vegan alternative. See notes below)
- 80 ml Vegetable Oil (2¾ fl oz, ⅓ cup - any neutral oil)
- 1½ tsp Vanilla Extract (Or Vanilla bean paste. See notes for how to make Vanilla Extract)
- 4 pods Cardamom - green, shelled and ground (Optional, see notes)
FOR ESPRESSO BUTTERCREAM
- 76 grams Butter - unsalted, cubed & softened (2¾ oz, ⅓ cup. Alternatively Vegan butter or Vegetable shortening, see notes)
- 375 grams Icing Sugar, sieved (13¼ oz, 3 cups Powdered Sugar)
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract (Or Vanilla Bean Paste)
- 1½ tbsp Espresso Powder dissolved in 1½ tbsp Boiled Water (Or 2½ tbsp Instant Coffee Granules to 1½ tbsp hot water)
- Chocolate Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
PREPARE CUPCAKE BATTER
- Weigh or measure out the flour, while sieving into the large mixing bowl. If using the cardamom, use a small knife to split open and peel off the shell of the pods. Then using a mortar & pestle, grind the seeds as fine a possible.
- Next spoon in the sugars, salt & espresso coffee powder & mix everything together till evenly distributed. (If using Plain/All Purpose flour, also add bicarbonate of soda/baking soda).
- Using a hand/stand mixer or even just a spatula or wooden spoon, add in the vegetable oil & vanilla extract. (If using Plain/All Purpose flour, also add the vinegar). Add in the milk in 2 or 3 increments, mixing on the lowest setting, before increasing and mixing till all combined. If mixing by hand, ensure you mix & beat well.
- Pre-heat your oven to: 180c/160c Fan oven/350f/Gas mark 4 (or earlier if your oven takes a longer time to heat up).
- Now line the cupcake tray/sheet with your 12 paper cases & divide the batter equally among them. They will be about ⅔-¾ full. Give the cupcake tray a few taps on the counter/worktop to expel any trapped air before placing in the centre of the oven.
BAKE THE CUPCAKES
- Bake for about 18 – 25 minutes till done. Mine take 21 -23 minutes & I turn the direction of the tins after about the half way point, for an even bake. Once well risen, start testing with a wooden cocktail stick, around about the 17 minute mark. You want the stick, when inserted in the centre of the cake, to come out completely clean of crumbs or batter. If not ready, bake a further 1 minute or 2 and check again.
- Remove from the oven & place the cupcake tray on top of a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes. Then you can remove the cupcakes from the tin and leave to cool down completely on the cooling rack.
MAKING THE ESPRESSO BUTTERCREAM
- While the cakes are baking or cooling, prepare the buttercream. Begin by dissolving the espresso coffee in the hot water, then add in the softened cubed butter/vegan butter/vegetable shortening & vanilla extract and beat together.
- Place the bowl over the scales (if using) & over a sieve, add in ¼ of the icing/powdered sugar (93g. 3¼ oz , ¾ cup). Cover the mixer/bowl with a splash guard or clean tea-towel and begin mixing on low speed till the sugar is incorporated. Proceed to add in more sugar in 3 more batches, mixing well in-between each addition.
- Continue beating on high speed for another 2-3 minutes till the buttercream becomes more aerated and bubbles are noticeable.
- Fill a piping bag with the espresso buttercream & use a medium sized nozzle to pipe buttercream on the cupcakes. Pipe swirls to form roses, or press down and pull up while squeezing, to produce tall 'ruffles'. The choice is yours.
- Keep somewhere cool but no need for a fridge unless a hot environment. Store covered or the buttercream will crust with time. Will last 2 - 3 days. Cupcakes alone can be frozen and thawed at room temperature.
Notes
- Choice Of Flour - you can use Self-raising (UK), or Plain/A.P. flour for these cupcakes. Just note from the ingredients & directions, that if using Plain/A.P. flour, you also need to add the Bicarb/Baking Soda & Vinegar. For using self-rising (US) flour, you can add 1/4 tsp Bicarb/Baking Soda & 1/2 tsp vinegar.
- Choice of Sugars - you can also use a combination of light brown, dark brown and granulated for these cupcakes. All work well, just use what you have to the combined final total weight/volume of 200g/7oz/1 cup.
- Choice of Milk - you don't need to use cow's/dairy milk. Almond & coconut milk have both been tested as well as lactose free milk.
- Vanilla Extract - make your own Vanilla Extract at home
- Cardamon - is optional, and gives a subtle flavour similar to ginger.
- Buttercream - optional, but you can also make using Vegan Butter or Vegetable Shortening.
- For recipe instruction photos, see the beginning of the recipe blog.
- All measurement conversions hand tested by myself as Google is inconsistent & often innacurate. Click to go to my Handy Table Of Common Baking Ingredient Conversions.
- For anything else, please see beginning of recipe blog.
