8-inch cake, 24 mini or 12 large muffins
This cake or muffin recipe is fun to make for a Halloween treat. It’s moist with a rich chocolate flavour. When baking cakes or muffins, to avoid them sticking to the pan, line the bottom of the cake pan with parchment paper or use paper cups in the muffin tins. Leave baked items just out of the oven for five minutes as they shrink slightly and will come out easier.
3 tablespoons (40 mL) pure powdered cocoa
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
¾ cup (175 mL) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons) 10 mL) baking powder
¼ teaspoon (1 mL) salt
½ cup (125 mL) milk
2 eggs, whisked to combine
1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla
½ cup (125 mL) soften butter to room temperature or melted butter
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºF). Lightly butter 9-inch (22.5 cm) square or 2 round cake pans or line with parchment paper. Lightly butter or add paper cups to the large muffin tin or 2 mini muffin tins.
2. In mixing bowl, place sieve over the bowl and add the dry ingredients (cocoa, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt) while sifting -. Whisk milk, eggs and vanilla in a measuring cup to combine. Use whisk to mix the dry ingredients with the liquids along with the soft butter; when combined, pour into prepared cake pans or spoon into prepared muffin tins up to the top of the muffin cups.
3. Bake cake for 20 minutes or when cake is firm to finger touch on the top. Bake large muffins for 18 minutes and mini muffins for 15 minutes or until the top is firm to a finger touch. Cool cakes or muffins for 5 minutes to make it easier to remove the cakes or muffins from the tins. Cool cakes before icing.
Chocolate icing:
1/4 cup (50 mL) softened butter, at room temperature
5 tablespoons (65 mL) cocoa
2 3/4 cups (675 mL) icing sugar
2 tablespoons (25 mL) milk or more for spreading consistency
Beat butter until creamy. Beat in cocoa, sugar and milk until
smooth and has a spreading consistency.
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