Sunday, April 6, 2008

Hazelnut Espresso Babycakes




Before we get on to anything else, Please congratulate Nags of "For the Cook in me" for her brilliant winning photo in Jess Dang's Food Porn Contest! Nag's photo of Curd Rice with Pomegranates served with chow chow sambhar is truly a sight for sore eyes as is her Beautiful Blog. So, for Gorgeous Southern Indian Food Recipes, don't forget Nags!






I've been craving a Coffee cake of some sort for the longest time and last week, out of pure desperation, I bought a Coffee Sponge roll from a local bakery in Northbridge. Unfortunately it just tasted really artificial and left me feeling very very dissatisfied. You see, I've been really busy getting things done and tying up loose ends before we go on Vacation in three days. Can I slip in a 'Yay'? YAYYYYYYYYYYY!! So with my craving not satiated, I've been feeling a wee bit irritated to say the least.





You can imagine my excitement though, when I saw a recipe for 'Coffee Teacake' in the April issue of Delicious - I rushed home, put away the food shopping, sat myself comfortably on my lounge, put my legs up and started flipping the pages to where the recipe was. As I read through the ingredients list, I felt my excitement deflating. It was a boring recipe. You can actually tell it's a boring recipe when they say " Chocolate, coffee or vanilla ice cream to serve" at the end of the Ingredient's list. The word 'Teacake' is a bit of a giveaway too.



But I had to have a Smashing Coffee Cake that day. So I brought out my pen and note book and started to make some changes and additions to the recipe. Very soon it looked like a totally different recipe, but I was happy with the ingredients - Espresso coffee, Hazelnuts, Frangelico (Hazelnut Liqueur) and Nutella - they all totally complimented each other. And the cupcakes turned out extremely well, fragrant and full of flavor with a tender crumb. I couldn't be happier with the result.





For first time readers of my blog, don't be alarmed that I used Salted Butter in my Cake, I use it in ALL my cakes. I find it renders a richer, more flavorsome cake. I use Sponge Cake Flour regularly too when a recipe calls for Self Raising Flour, and even sometimes when ordinary cake flour is used. I like my cakes soft and fluffy. For this icing recipe, use any Coffee Liqueur if Frangelico is unavailable.




Hazelnut Espresso Babycakes
Makes approximately 12 Cupcakes or one 22 cm round cake that will serve 8



170 g Salted Butter, softened
150 g Caster Sugar
3 eggs
120 g Sponge Cake Self Raising Flour
50 g Ground Hazelnuts
1 shot/ 10 tsp strong espresso coffee
Coffee Beans for decorating




Frangelico Icing

90 g Unsalted Butter, softened
90 g Cream Cheese, softened
75 g Icing Sugar
1 1/2 tbsp nutella
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp Frangelico


Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius or 160 degrees celsius if you have a fan forced oven. Line a muffin pan with cupcake paper or if you are making a whole cake, grease and line the base and sides of a 22 cm round springform cake pan with baking paper.

Now, here comes the crucial bit of this recipe - you have to dry roast the Ground Hazelnuts in a shallow pan over low heat. This will ensure an amazing tasting cake. Keep moving the ground hazelnuts around in the pan with a spatula until fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the hazelnuts into a small bowl to cool. Sift the sponge flour then add the ground hazelnuts to it, mixing to combine. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and pale.



Add the eggs, one at a time, adding 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture after each addition, and beating well. Fold in the remaining flour, then the coffee. Spoon the mixture 1/2 full into the cupcake cases or into the prepared pan. The baking time for the cupcakes is approximately 15 minutes. Bake a whole cake for about 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. For cupcakes , remove from the muffin pan after 10 minutes and cool on a wire rack.

For the icing, put all the ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth. Spread or pipe the icing as you desire. Enjoy!


OK Bloggers! Next destination for this blog is Kuala Lumpur and Singapore - You Comin'? Over and Out.

33 comments:

Ginny said...

I recently made a hazelnut cake too and I loved it! I'm adding this one to the list too! Looks great! I love your photos!

Big Boys Oven said...

oh this is so amazingly taken! so romantic ly beautiful please of dessert art!

kezia*anastasia said...

Carolll.... thank you so much for bringing this beautiful thing for Thursday practice! It made my night! hehehe :)

Have a good holidayyyy... Please come back soon cuz I miss you, Ming and the girls!!

Take care and have a safe journey!

xoxo
tazh

Nina Timm said...

I love your little trails of coffee beans leading up to the decadent little cupcakes.

Anonymous said...

I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but this I could do!

daphne said...

How pretty!! You make the most amazing cupcakes.

Have a great hols! I'm so busy with finalizing details of my work as well..so it is probably a good idea to catch up when you are back.

Cakespy said...

Sexy photos, and the cakes sound delicious!!! It is very tempting.

Breadpitt said...

the cupcakes are so nice and the setup were providing a very comfortable view.

~Ling~ said...

Hi Carol,

Wow wow! Yummy babycakes! Will put it on my "to bake" list. Have a Happy and Enjoyable Holidays ahead!

tigerfish said...

You are torturing me! Always featuring cake flavors that I like. Next to chocolate is coffee for me too!

Kok said...

carol,
This is so lovely! I think it tasted great too! :)

Chibog in Chief said...

oh carol this is definitely the perfect baby cakes i could bake for my dad!! he loves coffee, and anything sweet!! i cant wait to try my hands on this recipe!!

ps, i love the photo of the coffee beans;;so beautifully taken :-)

Patricia Scarpin said...

I have never tried Frangelico, Carol, but being a sucker for hazelnuts I'm pretty sure I'd love it.
Your babycakes are just adorable!

Anonymous said...

I love hazelnut, I love espresso... so this is... I'm at a loss for words! Shocking!

Great presentation, btw.

Dee said...

oh, my! all my favourite things - frangelico, nutella and salted butter - in one bee-yoo-tiful package. i have to bake these now. now! right after i trawl through the rest of your gems, that is :)

Sylvia said...

Those baby cakes looks delicious . Carol

Rita said...

Love your pics it's really great i will try the recipe someday...

Joy said...

Heya! How are you my friend? By the time you read this, you'll be in KL or Sing. How long are you staying there?

I look forward to having some baking time again. I miss it! And I miss you.

Dwiana P said...

Carol, it is very interested recipe. My hubby love hazelnut espresso, I shall try this recipe sometimes. about pictures they are great, specially picture #2.
happy weekend!

eatme_delicious said...

What beautiful photos! I usually use salted butter in baking too, but I reduce the amount of salt called for in the recipe.

Gigi said...

Beautiful photos and delicious looking cupcakes!

Anonymous said...

Carol, these look seriously yummy, and I simply adore your photos!

Rafe Totengco said...

Ok, I'm craving all of a sudden!

Asan said...

Hello, gorgeous picture and cakes...what can I use instead of spongecake flour...I have never seen that in the US.

Anonymous said...

OMG! This is so beautiful and yummy. I just found some cupcakes shells and I'm so going to make this.

Susan from Food Blogga said...

Carol, your photos look like displays in an elegant bakery. Always so lovely, always so inspiring.

Bel said...

OMG Carol...any cake that contains espresso AND nutella has GOT to be good!! :oP They sound absolutely delicious!

Hope you're having/had a great holiday - look forward to catching up soon :o)

Renee said...

You've just been making all kinds of cupcakes recently, huh? The hazelnut looks like my favorite of all, mmmmmm!

Anonymous said...

Saw that you attended at big boys oven cooking class while in KL. These cupcakes looks so delicious.

thwany said...

droooooooooooooool

hope you had a great vacation!

Kok said...

carol,
Drop by to wish you a Happy Mother's Day!:)

Anonymous said...

Amazing! I have to make these as soon as I can. Beautiful photography too!

AK @ Attends said...

Great Cupcakes..

BTW.. do you photograph your creations yourself?? Or do you hire a professional to do it?