This is my contribution to this month’s We Should Cocoa Challenge. This month it is very exciting as the challenge is a year old (time flies!) and Chele wanted everyone to make a cake suitable for a first birthday.
My cupcakes are inspired by the wonderful blogs of both Chele and Choclette, the brilliant bloggers behind We Should Cocoa. They have both recently featured honeycomb – Chele made Nigella’s Hokey Pokey and Choclette reviewed some very delicious looking honeycomb draped in Valrhona (drooling!). I knew I had to make some honeycomb and soon. Then I thought about a cupcake featuring honeycomb. When I was making them it seemed obvious that I needed to use spelt flour as I learned about spelt flour from Choclette. The spelt flour has the consistency of wholemeal and so adds a bit more texture to the cupcake. I happen to like this, but if you prefer yours in the traditional style then by all means use plain flour.
And, of course, if you are only one year old you don’t want a great big slab of cake (or you may want a big slab but your mummy won’t let you), so a cupcake is perfect.
Thanks to Chele and Choclette for a fabulous monthly challenge which has inspired me many times during the last year.
Before I divulge the recipe I have a few confessions to make. I cooked the cupcakes with honeycomb sprinkled inside the batter, but all it did was dissolve and escape out of the top of the cakes so I wouldn’t bother with doing that again. My instructions for making the cupcakes will leave this bit out. Also, when I was making the hokey pokey I reduced the amount of bicarb from the original recipe from 1½tsps to 1 tsp.
To make the cakes, first make the hokey pokey as described by Chele. Then make the cupcake batter as follows.
110g caster sugar
110g softened butter (unsalted)
pinch of salt
2 eggs
20g cocoa powder
1 heaped tsp instant coffee powder
100ml hot water
140g flour (spelt or plain)
1 tsp baking powder
Method
Dissolve the cocoa powder and the instant coffee in the hot water and allow to cool. Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Spoon into cupcake cases and bake in a preheated oven at 180°c, gas mark 4 or in the baking oven of the Aga for 12-15 minutes until cooked. When you place a fingertip on top the cake should spring back. Remove the cakes in their cases to a wire rack to cool.
Make this chocolate frosting and top with honeycomb. Make a cup of tea and enjoy.
Funny,
I am just writing my post for We Should Cocoa First Birthday Party too and here I find your wonderful contribution.
I love honeycomb, but can’t justify making it just for myself – so will have to wait when I am closer to family.
These have the wow factor for sure, and deliciousness I can only imagine. I know that both Choclette and Chele will be bowled over by your contribution.
Definitely don’t make honeycomb just for yourself, it is too much temptation! Thank you for your kind comments. Looking forward to seeing what you have done this month. I bet it blows mine to bits.
Shucks Kath, you say the nicest things 🙂 Your cupcakes look absolutely stunning with all that golden honeycomb on top and they sound delicious too. That’s a good tip about not cooking with honeycomb – just the sort of thing I would have done. Although disappointing it melted, could you taste the flavour in the actual cake? I expect it would work well in tiffin (she said musingly).
Thank you for bringing along such lovely cakes to the party, although I am feeling a bit disappointed I’m only allowed one cupcake and not a big slab of cake as well 😉
Well Choc, you could always have two. I think it would work really well in tiffin. The honeycomb does add a bit of toffee-ishness to the cakes but not enough to justify adding it to the batter. Lesson learned.
I had a go at making the honeycomb yesterday for some tiffin – I used the same recipe you and Chele did, but had a dismal failure. It was sticky and toffeeish and I couldn’t use it as intended 🙁 Someone thought it might have been that my bicarb had gone off – didn’t know such a thing was possible, but it is a very old batch.
Oh no! I have had failures in the past but only because the honeycomb tastes too much like a dose of alka seltzer which is why I cut down on the bicarb a bit, from one and half teaspoon to one teaspoon. Maybe the bicarb is too old to activate properly. I know that baking powder lasts only a couple of months before it is past its best. Will you try again with some new bicarb?
I can see that honeycomb would be a dangerous confection for me to have around. It would disappear in no time. Nevertheless, your cupcakes would wow any one year old!
Michele, it is highly likely that I will have no teeth left by the end of this week as I seem unable to walk past the tin without my hand involuntarily diving in. No willpower!
Ah, I love honeycomb- these look like cupcakes that wouldn’t last five minutes if placed within five metres of my grasp!
Kate, thanks for your kind comment. They went pretty quickly around here.
Oh, I am DROOLING here! I love honeycomb and can nearly taste these in my mouth. Have never thought of incorporating it into my baking – what a good idea.
I love honeycomb and these cupcakes look delicious!
Thanks Baking Addict