Grande Mocha-Latte Ya Ya Cupcakes (but in miniature)

I'm loving the Couture Cupcakes article in this quarter's Donna Hay (volume 27), so when were were invited to Quarter Poker Night at the Cantoni's I wanted to take a little treat.  This couple is so nice.  JT moved to Phoenix in October of 2004 and I was in town in November looking for houses and they had us over for dinner after looking at houses all day.  Their house is exactly how I thought Arizona houses should look, they live on South Mountain, have a huge adobe style house, the desert landscaping looked perfect and they hosted a great dinner.  I've seen them a few times since then, so I was excited they were having a party.  (Oh, here's a picture of our other dog, Bidi looking especially cute with her bone.)

 On Thursday, Hubby had a happy hour to go to, so it was me and my season premiers; My Name is Earl, The Office and Grey's Anatomy.  I love TiVo or I might have missed something.  Thumbing through the Donna Hay, deciding which cupcake to make, I spotted what they called the Black Cupcake.  I decided that's what we'd take over for poker. They're chocolate with a coffee icing,(hey Donna, it'd be catchier if you called them Mocha-Choca-Latte Ya Yas). The cake recipe is really simple:

Black Cupcakes from Donna Hay

125g butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 1/4 cups plain flour 1t baking powder 2T cocoa powder 1/4 cup milk 100g dark chocolate, melted; coffee icing 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 1/4t cream of tartar 2T instant coffee 3 egg whites

Preheat oven to 320.  Place the butter and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs and beat well. Sift over the flour, baking powder and cocoa and beat until combined. Fold through the milk, stir in the chocolate and spoon the mixture into four 12-hole mini-muffin pans lined with paper.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool on wire racks.

To make the icing, place the sugar, water and cream of tartar and coffee in a saucepan over high heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes. Place the eggwhites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until soft peaks form. While the motor is still running gradually add the sugar mixture and beat until thick and glossy.  Makes 48.

Hubby is usually a reluctant tester (he doesn't like sweets so much), but when he walked in and tasted one of them I got the best compliment.  He said, "Now that's what a chocolate cupcake should taste like." 

 

Do you like this container?  I found it at Arizona Baking Cake Decorating (ABC) on Indian School and 28th Street.  It's convertible into three different types of carriers; cake, standard cupcakes and mini-cupcakes.  For $20 some-odd bucks, I think it's a great deal.

Have a fun weekend!