Chocolate Chiffon Cupcake recipe with chocolate mousse topping (dairy-free option too)

Soft. Fluffy. Light. Bouncy. Chocolatey. These are words that best describe this scrumptious cupcake.

 

 

Okay, so here’s a recipe I’ve worked on for a while. I think I stumbled across this Chocolate Chiffon Cake recipe in mid 2010 sometime and then tweaked it a few times over the past two years.

 

Get the full recipe here.

 

I tweaked the above recipe a little more this time. You’ll get around 15 cupcakes from this – it takes under 15 mins to make and only 15 minutes to bake, so it’s real winner if you ask me. So let’s get down to (delicious) business, shall we? Lemme break down what you’ll need.

For the Cupcakes:

• 1/4 cup or 25 grams of the finest dutch processed cocoa powder you can find (I used half cocoa powder and half ground organic cocoa nibs).
• 90ml strong coffee (I used freshly ground Organic Colombian beans but you can also just use boiled water if you prefer).
• 125 grams cake flour
• 175 grams white sugar
• 3.5 grams bicarbonate of soda
• pinch of salt
• 60ml vegetable oil
• 3 large/jumbo eggs separated
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod, de-seeded
• 0.5 grams cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

 For the Chocolate mousse topping (my very own concoction):

• 125ml Orley Whip or a dairy-free cream substitute of your choice
• 5 Tablespoons instant chocolate pudding powder
• pinch salt
• 150 grams Bulgarian yoghurt (optional)
• 3 teaspoons ground cocoa nibs
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 3 Tablespoons Milo powder
• 4 Tablespoons icing sugar
• 2-5 Tablespoons Oat/Rice/Almond Milk (you’ll use more milk if you don’t use the yoghurt)

 

So, firstly,  you’re going to do the prep work like grinding your coffee beans and cocoa nibs – if you’re using them, of course.

 

This is what raw, organic cocoa nibs look like. They smell incredible!

 

 

Grind your cocoa nibs in a coffee grinder.

 

 

Organic Asorganica Colombian coffee beans

 

Right. Prep work done. Let the mixing begin!

To make the cupcakes:

1. Mix your 90ml hot coffee with your 25 grams of cocoa powders and set aside.

 

2. Sift the flour, sugar, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Set aside for later use.

3. Using an electric beater, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.

4. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks, oil and vanilla (extract or seeds) until just blended.

 

 

5. Make a well in your sifted dry ingredients and tip both the blended egg mixture and coffee-cocoa mixture into the centre. Blend briefly with an electric beater.

6. Take a third of the beaten egg white and start folding into the chocolate batter. Fold in gently and in a figure eight motion. Try not to knock out any air.

7. Next, add the 1/2 tsp baking powder and fold in along with the remaining egg white. Don’t overmix here, people!

 

The batter should be light and bubbly.

 

8. Next, you’re going to pour the batter into a lightly-greased cupcake tray. You can use pretty cupcake paper liners but it’s not necessary. If you’re using a non-stick pan, these cupcakes are easy to pop out by just running a knife around the edge 5 mins or so after they’ve come out of the oven.

 

Fill each cupcake hole until it’s 3/4 way full.

 

9. Next, bake the cupcakes at 160 degrees celsius on the lowest rack of the oven for 12-15 minutes. When you think they’re ready, stick a toothpick in the centre of one of the cupcakes and if the toothpick comes out clean and free of any batter, then you know it’s ready to remove from the oven.

10. Leave to cool in the tray for 5 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack. (The cupcakes will look very high but will slowly settle and flatten out somewhat).

 

While the cupcakes are baking, you can whip up the topping and refrigerate until you need it.

 

To make the topping:

1. Beat the Dairy-free cream substitute or Orley Whip until light peaks form

2. Add a pinch of salt, instant pudding powder, icing sugar and the yoghurt if you’re using it. Beat until just blended.

3. Mix milo powder and cocoa powder/s with 2 Tablespoons oat/rice/almond milk.

4. Add the cocoa-milo mixture to the beaten instant pudding cream and beat until just incorporated.

5. Taste the mixture to see if you need more icing sugar. Adjust to taste and beat in more milk if you want a lighter, moussier texture.

6. Refrigerate for 30 mins or so or until cupcakes are cool and ready for icing.

The only thing left to do now, is to smother the cupcakes with the ridiculously addictive chocolate mousse topping and then sprinkle with chocolate shavings/powder, caramelised nuts or cocoa nibs. I went with cocoa nibs this time (usually I opt for caramelized pecans). When you’re done making them look all pretty, you may then proceed to smash the cake in your pie hole. Do it. I dare you.