Chocolate Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting

There is always that day where I can’t resist to bake or try to bake something new, and there it was a cupcake day. I chose cupcakes simply because they were quick and easy to make, and I couldn’t do something complicated with my toddler running around the apartment. He will keep bugging me for attention once a while or worst he could force me to play with him. So, there you go, you could see his blurry face on the background of cupcakes because he could not wait to have some. He eyed on a particular cupcake.

What I love about this particular cupcake is that I don’t need to use a mixer, which means less things to be wash in the sink (that is the important thing.. right??). I got pretty good reviews from all the cupcake eaters especially about the crunchy top bits. So, here are some tips before you start the cupcakes because I almost ruin this easy cupcake because of my laziness (*wink*):

• I always melt dark cooking chocolate in the microwave although the recipe requested a double boiler. Anyway, I waited for the chocolate mixture to be quite cool, then I add the sugar in. Then I realized that the sugar is not dissolving (%*&#!). I should add icing sugar or caster sugar instead of ordinary sugar. I kept whisking and whisking and whisking, it won’t budge. I boiled hot water quickly then pour it in the pot, so I could place my bowl over that.  … keep whisking and whisking (and thinking to myself “Did I just turn the melted butter into butter again?). Oh what the hell.. I just add eggs and continue with another steps. Thank God my chocolate cupcakes turned alright.
• The chocolate cupcake took longer time to cook than I expected. When the skewer is inserted, it was clean except the top part layer (about 2mm). I guess all the undissolved sugar went up and that made it caramelized and crunchy when eaten.
• I used 250 gr of cream cheese not because I thought that the frosting is not enough for the cupcakes but because that is how much they are come in a packet. Next time, I will double the cupcake recipe for those 250 gr cream cheese.

Here is how the chocolate cupcake looks up close and personal

Ingredients for Chocolate Cupcakes

• 2/3 cup plain flour
• 2 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used Cadbury Drinking Chocolate)
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 85 gr bittersweet chocolate (I used Nestle dark cooking chocolate)
• 155 gr unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp caster sugar
  
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting

• 226 gr cream cheese, room temperature (I used 250 gr)
• 226 gr butter, room temperature (I used 250 gr)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• about 4 cups icing sugar, sifted ( I used 2 cups, but next time I’ll use 1 1/3 cup)
  

Preparation time (duration): 40

Please leave your comment/suggestion if you find this recipe useful. Can’t wait to hear from you and Thank You!!!