Blog Party #29 - Another Bite of Dessert

Stephanie of Dispensing Happiness is hosting a blog party once again, this time with the theme of Another Bite of Dessert. To attend a blog party, you must make both an item of finger food and a drink that fits with the party theme for that month.

For my dessert, I have chosen cappucino cupcakes, from the May/June 2006 issue of Donna Hay Magazine. Donna calls them short black cupcakes, but with all that frothy frosting on top, they have to be cappucinos from my viewpoint.

To make these little delights, the recipe is as follows:

125g butter, softened and cubed

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted

2 tablespoons cocoa, sifted

1/2 cup milk

100g melted dark chocolate

For the frosting:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup tap water

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 tablespoons instant coffee

3 eggwhites

Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners (or spray it with cooking spray instead, as I did). Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, then beat in the eggs. Remove the mixture from the mixer stand, and fold in the flour, baking powder and cocoa with a spoon or spatula. Stir through the milk and chcocolate until combined, then place into the muffin cups and bake for about 15 minutes or until cooked. Cool the cakes in the tin for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frothy frosting, put the sugar, water, coffee and cream of tartar in a small saucepan and stir over high heat until the mixture boils, then simmer over a low heat for 3 minutes. Beat the eggwhites in a separate bowl to soft peak stage, then while the mixer continues to run, add the sugar syrup and beat until thick and shiny. Top each cake with the frosting applied to resemble cappucino froth. (Note that the frosting doesn't set hard, just like froth.)

For my drink, I have prepared the perfect accompaniment to a cappucino cupcake - a short black coffee in a glass. As this is an adult party and it is Christmas, feel free to add a shot or two of Baileys, whiskey or brandy. Enjoy!

Thanks to Steph for hosting yet another blog party, and check back for the roundup. (Postscript: The roundup is now available here.)