Chocolate Cupcakes

(from 226-2tone’s recipe box)

Makes 12 cupcakes

You can substitute 3/4 cup hot coffee for the boiling water and instant espresso powder. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil, then measure out the desired amount.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: A cupcake piled high with creamy chocolate buttercream frosting is the perfect single-serving dessert, yet on average it packs in more than 25 grams of fat, leaving plenty of room for improvement. To start, we tried a number of low-fat cupcake recipes that included “alternative” ingredients like prunes or applesauce, but they were overwhelmingly disappointing, giving us dry, crumbly cakes. Instead, we worked with a more traditional recipe and trimmed the fat by reducing the amount of chocolate and switching from butter to canola oil, which is lower in saturated fat. Adding a hefty dose of cocoa along with a bit of instant espresso powder boosted the chocolate flavor immensely, and swapping in bread flour for the all-purpose flour provided plenty of lift and structure to our lean batter. Finally, topping the cakes with a simple yet ultra-creamy frosting made of confectioners’ sugar instead of an over-the-top buttercream frosting helped to make these cupcakes a reasonable, yet still indulgent, treat.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/comfort-food-makeovers/2013/04/recipe-makeover-challenge-chocolate-cupcakes/

Source: America's Test Kitchen | April 23, 2013 (from RecipeThing user Bethany)

Categories: Desserts

Ingredients

  • CUPCAKES
  • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
  • 1/3 cup (1 ounce) cocoa
  • 3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 3/4 cup boiling water
  • 3/4 cup (4 1/8 ounces) bread flour
  • 3/4 cup (5 1/2 ounces) sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 5 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups Low-Fat Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)
  • LOW-FAT CHOCOLATE FROSTING
  • 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 cup cocoa
  • 7 tablespoons 1 percent low-fat milk
  • 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
  • 1 ounce melted bittersweet chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.

  2. Combine chocolate cocoa, and espresso powder in large bowl. pour boiling water over top, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes to melt chocolate; whisk smooth, then set aside to cool slightly. In separate bowl, whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together.

  3. Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Whisk in flour mixture until smooth. Using greased 1/4-cup measure, portion batter into prepared muffin cups.

  4. Bake cupcakes until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 17 to 19 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cupcakes cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pan and let cool completely on rack, about 1 hour. using small icing spatula, frost each cupcake with about 2 1/2 tablespoons frosting. Serve.

  5. LOW-FAT CHOCOLATE FROSTING Pulse 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar and 1/2 cup cocoa together in food processor until combined, about 5 pulses. Add 7 tablespoons 1 percent low-fat milk, 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter, 1 ounce melted bittersweet chocolate, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; process until smooth, about 15 seconds. Makes 2 cups.

  6. Per Serving: Cal 340, Fat 11g, Sat Fat 3g, Chol 35g, Carb 62g, Protein 3g, Fiber 3g, Sodium 170mg

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