Heart of darkness
I went 15 years without a black-bottom cupcake. ‘The horror! The horror!’
When GH and I lived in San Francisco in the late 80’s and early 90’s we spent many a blissful day on Drake’s Beach at Point Reyes, flying stunt kites, sipping California sparkling white wine, and eating Just Dessert’s black-bottom cupcakes. Then Alex was born and those days ended.
My recent infatuation with cake reminded me that I love dark chocolate cake, and the madeleines reminded me that cakes baked in small portions bake up nicely without any of the issues of larger cakes…which together reminded me of the dense, dark black-bottom cupcakes. Google turned up a ton of recipes, all basically the same. Once I set about making these I realized that the cake part of the recipe was the very same “one-bowl chocolate cake” I made so often as a child. I have no idea why I’ve forgotten about this cake but once I saw the vinegar and cooking oil in the recipe I realized that this cake was an old familiar friend.
That basic, one-bowl chocolate cake easily adapts to a dense, chocolaty morning muffin. So quick and easy to whip up and even more fun with some semisweet chocolate chips and pecan pieces thrown in. There is absolutely no reason not to embrace chocolate as a breakfast food. A chocolate pecan muffin and a macchiato is a perfect start to a lazy fall weekend.
Here are the two recipes…do you have a favorite version of this easy one-bowl chocolate cake?
Black-bottom cupcakes
Cream cheese filling
In a mixing bowl put:
8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temp
1/3 cup white granulated sugar
1 egg at room temperature
Mix on medium until smooth.
Cake:
1 ½ cups all purpose, unbleached flour
5 tablespoons cocoa (not dutch-processed)
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup water
1/3 cup canola or other flavorless oil
1 tablespoon apple vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Butter a 12 cup muffin tin. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Sift flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda into a bowl. Mix water, oil, sugar, vinegar, and vanilla together. Combine the two and stir just until combined. Divide evenly among the 12 cups in the muffin tin. Add about 1 tablespoon of filling per cup…just plop it on top.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cake portion springs back when touched and the cream cheese has turned a light gold around the edges.
Remove from oven, allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes and then carefully remove the cakes from the tin. Eat warm or cool totally.
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Double chocolate pecan muffins
1 ½ cups all purpose, unbleached flour
5 tablespoons cocoa (not dutch-processed)
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup water
1/3 cup canola or other flavorless oil
1 tablespoon apple vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecan pieces
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Butter a 12 cup muffin tin. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Sift flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda into a bowl. Mix water, oil, sugar, vinegar, and vanilla together. Combine the two and stir just until combined. Add the pecans and chocolate chips and lightly stir in. Divide evenly among the 12 cups in the muffin tin.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched.
Remove from oven, allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes and then carefully remove the cakes from the tin. Eat warm or cool totally.
Printer friendly black-bottom recipe.
Printer friendly double chocolate pecan muffin recipe.
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7 Responses to “Heart of darkness”
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I so could eat one of each (at least) of these right now!
My favourite choc cake is a one saucepan recipe!
Boiled Chocolate Cake;
INGREDIENTS
• 1/4 cup Dutch Cocoa
• 1 cup water
• 150g butter
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 eggs
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1.5 cup self raising flour
1. Blend cocoa with a little warm water in a saucepan to make a smooth paste.
2. Add remaining water, butter, sugar, and bicarb soda. Stir over medium heat until butter melts. Bring to boil.
3. Remove from heat, leave to cool.
4. When cold, add eggs and vanilla essence; beat well. Stir in flour and mix well.
5. Pour into a tin (I use two springform tins or a loaf tin).
6. Bake for 50 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 degrees celcius or 160 fan forced.
7. Leave in pan for 5 minutes before turning out to cool completely. Pour fudge icing on top of one cake, top with the other and spread the rest of the icing on top. Or if using a loaf tin spread with chocolate butter icing.
Love your blog by the way :)
Hi Vanessa,
those look so good! Since the husband is Dutch, chocolate for breakfast no longer surprises me…in fact, you’ll be pleased to know that two of his recent breakfasts were a boomchunka and a banana….thanks to you.
I’m off tomorrow morning and I’ll try to take some good food photos!
JEP…thanks!
Suzy, thanks for the recipe…I’ll give it a try soon.
MadLisa, travel safe and we’ll get together when you return.
Oh, how much do I love more than black bottom cupcakes? Not much. They’re so rich and sensual…an almost guilty pleasure. Note, I say ALMOST. What a delicious post and blog.
These are lovely cupcakes. I bet they are also good to eat!
Cakespy…they’re so much better than normal, iced, cupcakes. Thanks for reading and commenting.
gay, they’re so easy you should try them. Thanks for stopping by.