A very versatile recipe for specific dietary requirements. All ingredients can be substituted. It's a very moist, indulgent recipe, loved by many; it will go down well at any dinner party. Makes 12 Ingredients:
  • 225g evaporated milk
  • 1 tsp cider vinegar (not the alcohol kind)
  • 210g plain flour
  • 170g caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 75ml vegetable oil
  • Extra red food colouring (highly recommend gel paste)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (don’t use essence, this will change the consistency)
Vanilla Buttercream:
  • 250g unsalted butter – room temperature
  • 500g icing sugar – sifted
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste
Cream Cheese Filling:
  • 112g unsalted butter – room temperature
  • 125g Philly cream cheese – room temp
  • 275g icing sugar (reduce for less sickly sweet) – sifted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method:
  1. Preheat the oven to 180c Fan. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper cases.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the evaporated milk and cider vinegar. Allow it to curdle, will take roughly 5 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and bicarb together. Stir in the sugar.
  4. Once the milk has curdled, stir in the oil, food colouring and the extract. Whisk it well to combine.
  5. Make a well in the dry ingredients and slowly add the wet mixture, stirring it until all the ingredients come together. Small lumps are ok. Be careful not to overmix.
  6. I personally use a small ice cream scoop, but you can use two spoons and fill each case 3/4 high.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  8. Transfer cupcake pan to cooling rack. Remove from the pan after 5 minutes and allow to further cool for 10-15 mins.
Vanilla Buttercream:
  1. Make sure the butter is at room temp, if it’s still slightly hard, blast it for 15 seconds in the microwave. With an electric whisker, beat the butter till its fluffy and glossy in texture.
  2. Sift the icing sugar into batches and add it to the butter. I do it in 2 batches. Put a cloth over the bowl so it doesn’t splatter everywhere. Carry on mixing until the sugar has incorporated into the butter.
  3. Scrape down the bowl and add the last batch. Carry on whisking for 5-9 minutes. Add in the vanilla paste. If you find the mixture is slightly hard and too thick for piping, add 1 tbsp of milk and whisk well. Judge the consistency as you go.
  4. Put into a piping bag with a drop flower nozzle (Jem 2d or Wilton 2d) or simply use a spatula to frost your cuppies.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
  1. Mix the butter and cream cheese together with an electric whisker. Mix for 3-5 minutes till light and fluffy.
  2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and carry on whisking.
  3. Make sure the icing sugar is sifted, as you don’t want any lumps forming. Add the icing sugar in 2 batches, cover the bowl with a cloth, and continue mixing.
  4. Keep adding until you have reached the desired thickness and taste.
  5. If it is slightly thick, you can add a little bit of whipping cream to loosen the texture, whipping cream also makes it airy. But be careful not to add too much, or it will be too runny.
  6. Frost with a spatula or transfer to a piping bag for a more elaborate design.