:: Nuts About Chocolate Cupcakes (GF) ::

Flourless Chocolate & Hazelnut Cupcakes (GF)

:: Megann’s Kitchen ::

:: chocolate & hazelnut cupcakes with chocolate ganache + roasted hazelnut ::

My husbands old uni friend runs a modest coffee stand called "Dose Espresso" at the Olive Tree Markets & every first Saturday of the month we pay Andrew a visit. He & his business partner, Seamus, make amazing coffee which patrons line up patiently for. Admittedly, they don't take our money when we offer it to them & this started to weigh on my mind as the complimentary coffees were starting to stack up.
One Saturday I said "I will have to bake you something to pay for all these gorgeous coffees!" He thought I was joking & embellished the thought. "Ummmm, muffins..." he said thinking hard. "No, cupcakes! Chocolate ones! Oh, & make sure that Mick brings them in a basket, all pretty & very un-manly!!!" he decided, laughing to himself. Well, I wasn't going to let all those coffees go unpaid for so the following market date I set to baking. The best chocolate recipe that came to mind was Mick's favourite Flourless Chocolate & Hazelnut Cake recipe, which I have blogged previously, but this time I decided to make it into some gorgeous  cupcakes. I piped on a bubble of chocolate ganache & placed a roasted hazelnut on top. Pretty & perfect, as requested. Oh, I also made a batch of ever so quick & easy blueberry & apple muffins, of course!
The hot muffins went into a lovely basket laced with a tea towel & the cupcakes went into one of my favourite Nigella Lawson baking tins (in pale blue, naturally). Mick proudly carried them up to Andy & the look of amazement on his face was fantastic. "I seriously was kidding!" he exclaimed. But that night we got a text, "We are not worthy..." & were later told that people were asking if the muffins & cupcakes were for sale, but the boys ate them all that day. Maybe one day....

240g dark cooking chocolate, broken into pieces

150g unsalted butter, cubed

270g brown sugar

125g hazelnut meal (finely ground hazelnuts)

6 large eggs, separated

to dust

1 tbs cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Prepare 2 cupcake tins lined lined with roughly 18 liners. Put the butter & broken chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan on low heat with simmering water, & stir constantly until mixture is completely melted & smooth. Sit on the bench to cool slightly whilst you prepare your other ingredients.

Add the sugar & hazelnut meal to the chocolate mixture & combine until there are no lumps. Add the egg yolks one at a time, stirring well between each one. In a separate bowl, whisk your egg whites until firm peaks form, then gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Make sure that the mixture is just combined but there are no large white foamy lumps in the mixture as they will rise to the surface of your cake making bubbles.

Spoon the mixture into prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 20-22 minutes; until just firm. Keep in mind that this recipe is meant to be soft & fudge-like in the middle, so don’t panic if it looks underdone. Leave to cool completely in the tins before removing (this is essential!)

Source

:: I sourced my Donna Hay logo cupcake liners from the General Store, but they are also available from David Jones.

Chocolate Ganache

:: Megann’s Kitchen ::

I chose to top my cupcakes with a slightly chilled basic chocolate ganache & an "Alice" inspired roasted hazelnut perched proudly on top. I pulled back on the cream quantity as I wanted the ganache to hold a solid form.

:: deliciously moist cupcakes, you have to try these! ::

Ganache

110 grams good quality dark chocolate
60 ml warm cream
40 grams butter

Combine together over a double boiler until smooth & glossy. Chill in the refrigerator, stirring every few minutes, until desired piping consistency, then pipe onto cupcakes. If piping seems a little daunting, simply dollop with a teaspoon for a rustic look. Top with roasted hazelnut.

Kitchen Notes

:: If you don't have a double boiler, I simply use a saucepan filled with water & a stainless steel bowl over a stove on low heat. Place your chocolate in the stainless steel bowl & voila!

:: To roast the hazelnuts, I simply put some whole hazelnuts on a tray & roasted them on an oven at 180°C (350°F) for 6-7 minutes.

:: Citrus Dreaming (GF)(DF) ::

Deliciously Moist Orange Cake (GF)(DF)

:: Megann's Kitchen ::

:: a slice of deliciously moist orange cake (gf) ::

    

 
One Spring, in my teenage years, I went through a phase of eating a lot of oranges at boarding school as it was all they had on offer in their fresh fruit box. It seemed that I constantly smelled like citrus peel which I am not sure is a good thing to others, but I certainly didn't mind! So nowadays when I smell the sweet scent of fresh oranges it takes me back to my youth of fun in the sun with good friends.
I still love oranges and just about anything to do with them. The farmers' market oranges are hard to resist. I love a slice of orange in a glass of chilled water & I certainly love the combination with chocolate! Any type of orange cake seems to be a favourite with me, and I have to say it is my number one afternoon tea selection.
This traditional & delicious, sweet, moist Orange Cake with almond meal I first discovered on SBS Food Safari, however I have since combined a few recipes together. It is light & fluffy considering it is flourless & super moist. This is both a Gluten Free & Kosher recipe (great for Passover), so I thought it would be a fantastic one to master & have on hand, also for the simple fact that it tastes incredible.

3 large seedless oranges (Naval), washed
6 eggs
1 ¼ cup caster sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
3 cups or 330g of almond meal

Place the oranges in a pot filled with cold water to cover them. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat & set your timer for 25 minutes. Drain off the oranges & refresh your water, setting your timer & repeating the process two more times.
Set your oranges aside to cool.
Preheat your oven 180°C (350°F). Pre-prepare & line a 22cm (9 inch) springform cake tin. Roughly chop your oranges removing the white pith in the centre (the "core" of your orange) as this may make your cake bitter, as well as any seeds. Blend in a food processor until a fine puree & measure out 1 1/3 cups or 450g of the orange puree.
In an electric mixer, beat your eggs until light & creamy then gradually add your caster sugar & baking powder. Continue to beat until thick & pale in colour. Gently fold in your almond meal & the orange puree with a metal spoon until well combined.
Pour mixture into prepared tin. Bake for 50-60 mins or until cake tested clean.

:: removing the white pith centre  ::

:: preparing your boiled oranges- ready to puree ::

:: incredibly sweet orange puree ::

Kitchen Notes
:: I like to boil my oranges/citrus the day before. This gives the fruit adequate time to cool and I find the flavours infuse into the peel even more.
:: Some recipes have mentioned that you might have to cover the cake with foil after about 20 to 30 minutes to stop the top from over-browning.
:: When making Gluten Free recipes, double check your baking powder or anything additional to make sure that it is also wheat/gluten free.
:: I also DOUBLE the amount of oranges that I poach & puree - freezing a quantity in the fridge for a quick cake when I need one! The puree freezes well.
:: In the episode of SBS Food Safari, the cook explained that to make the cake "Kosher", hold the eggs up to the light & check for blood spots. For more information on Kosher Eggs, follow this link.

:: a beautiful orange mixture ::

:: poured into a prepared baking pan ::

Style: I like to keep aside some thinly sliced wedges of the boiled oranges dipped in heated apricot jam, then chilled in the fridge, for the top of the cake. These are rather delicious & have intense flavour & colour.
Serve: Sprinkle with icing sugar just before serving (this cake is so moist that it absorbs rather quickly!) & serve with double cream.

Orange Chocolate Jaffa Cake Option

:: orange chocolate jaffa cake option ::

Style: I sometimes like to MIX IT UP by using different toppings! This topping isn't GF/DF because of the Ganache + Jaffas, but is OH SO DELICIOUS! I made a basic ganache recipe & poured it over the cake, topping it with crushed Jaffas around the edge. 

Dark Chocolate Ganache 
200g dark chocolate, broken into chunks
½ cup cream 
Melt together over a double boiler until smooth. Cool slightly & pour over cake.

:: yes, even in megann's kitchen we have our off days! ::
:: follow the below points so your cake doesn't sink in the middle ::

That sinking feeling
Don't fret at the following points, it really is an easy recipe! This is an egg based recipe, so there are a few pressure points that may cause the cake to dip in the middle, but don't despair, it still tastes divine! Just ensure that you follow the below basic instructions to cut down on errors (and the resulting above picture!).
:: Make sure that your oven has been pre-heated for at least 10 minutes.
:: Ensure that your egg mixture is adequately aerated.
:: After pouring your mixture into your tin, put it straight into the oven.
:: If my cake slightly "dips" in the centre (not like the volcanic crater I have in the above picture), I sometimes carefully invert it so the bottom becomes the top & sprinkle with icing sugar upon serving. This gives the cake more structure & your guests will be none the wiser!

:: flourless orange cupcake w/double cream ::

Kitchen Notes
:: Some of the best cakes make great cupcakes. I made these cupcakes from the above mixture baking in a preheated oven of 180°C (350°F) for 20 mins. This time I topped it with fresh double cream & a sugar flower & allowed my guests to eat it with a spoon. Divine!

:: dust with icing sugar just before serving ::

:: some beautiful citrus slices to garnish ::