Chocolate Sponge Cupcakes recipe

This is a French-style cupcake (if that’s not an oxymoron), and the recipe is a bit complicated but makes a really good base for unique

cupcakes when you really want the filling and frosting to be the stars.

Ingredients

For 12 cupcakes

1/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/3 cup cocoa powder, extra brute (good-quality, dark, without sugar added)
8 egg yolks
3/4 cups sugar, divided
8 egg whites

Instructions

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

2 Sift together the flour and cocoa powder into a small bowl and set aside.

3 Whisk the egg yolks on high speed in a standing mixer while pouring in half cups of the sugar. Whisk until the mixture is
lightened to a butter color, about 8 to 10 minutes, then pour it into a separate mixing bowl and set aside.

4 Clean the bowl of the standing mixer really well; make sure there is no yolk left, or the egg whites will not rise at all.

5 With the clean bowl on the standing mixer, whip the egg whites on a slow speed for a few minutes (but no more than 5 minutes, or you’ll add air to the whites). This breaks up the proteins, warms them up a little, and helps the cupcakes rise.

6 Turn the mixer on high and slowly add the remaining sugar. Whip until soft peaks form, about 8 minutes. Soft peaks are a little droopy, so you want light, airy whites that don’t hold their shape well.

7 Take a little bit of the yolks that were set aside and fold them into the whites with a rubber spatula (this is called tempering). Then dump this all into the yolks and slowly fold them together—do not overmix the ingredients or handle them roughly.

8 When the mixture is almost combined, delicately fold in the flour and cocoa powder.

9 Once the batter is combined, use an ice cream scoop to fill the cups in the cupcake pan about ¾ full and bake for about 10 minutes. When a toothpick comes out clean, you’re cool to take them out of the oven.

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Bibingka Coconut Sponge Cakes

This is a very popular dessert with foreign visitors to the Philippines.

Ingredients

3 eggs, beaten
1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
2 cups (400 g) rice flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
One 13 1/2-oz (400-ml) can coconut milk
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 banana leaf (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh or frozen grated coconut 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, sliced

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, place the eggs, brown sugar, rice flour, butter, coconut milk and baking powder. Mix thoroughly.
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
If you’re using a banana leaf, line a round baking pan (about 8 x 3-inch/20 x 7.5-cm)
with the leaf (cut according to the size of the tray) and pour in the cake batter.

The banana leaf adds fragrance to the cake when cooked but using it is optional as the cakes are still good without the leaf. If you’re not using a banana leaf, lightly grease the pan with butter and pour in the cake batter.
To make individual cakes, line a 4-inch (10-cm) wide and 2 1/4-inch (5.5-cm) deep minipan with 5-inch (12.5-cm) banana leaf (this is optional) and pour batter into the minipan.

Bake for about 1 hour or until browned or a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Place the cake onto a serving platter and put butter on top of the cake. Sprinkle the grated coconut on the cake.

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