Baci Cupcakes

If you are chasing a rich moist chocolate cupcake this one just hits the spot. Better yet they are gluten free. 

I love making these cakes for friends or for fundraisers.

BACI CUPCAKES

Makes 24 

Or half the recipe and only make 12 big ones (in brackets)

350g butter (175gm)

450g dark cooking choc, chopped (225gm)

2.5 cups caster sugar (1 1/4)

1.5 cups almond meal (3/4)

2 cups cocoa (1)

10 eggs (5)

2 tsp vanilla extract (1)

Preheat oven to 140C.

Line muffin trays.

Combine butter, choc and sugar in heavy base pan over low heat.

Mix continuously till smooth.

Sift almond meal and cocoa together, add choc mixture and beat for 1 min on low speed till thoroughly combined. Gets very chunky.

Add eggs two at a time, beating after each addition until combined.

Do not overbeat or cakes will crack during baking.

Add vanilla, beat.

Divide mixture between cases.

Bake for approx 30 min.

Cool for 30min before frosting.

Decorate with vanilla buttercream, silver cahous and a Baci chocolate.

Buttercream

200g softened butter

0.5 cup milk

1tbs vanilla extract

2 cups icing sugar

Cream butter for 1-2 min. Add milk, vanilla and half icing sugar, beat for at least 3 min until mixture is light and fluffy.

Add rest of sugar and beat for further 3 min or until the mixture is fluffy and spreadable.

Add extra milk or sugar as needed.

 

TimTam Cheesecake

 

Scrolling through Facebook I came across the recipe for Tim Tam cheesecake. It's getting close to Christmas and I usually make my white tolberone cheesecake but I have been having trouble finding white tolberone this year. Saturday night was the "turning on the Christmas lights" party at my friend’s house so I took this cheesecake for dessert.

 

Tim Tam Cheesecake

Ingredients:

 

2 x 200g packets Tim Tam biscuits
80g butter, melted, cooled
1/4 cup boiling water
3 teaspoons gelatine powder
375g cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup thickened cream
180g block white chocolate, melted, cooled
extra chopped Tim Tam biscuits, to serve

Method:

Step 1
Process 300g biscuits until fine crumbs. Add cooled butter. 

Process until combined (Mixture will come together to form a dough-style mixture, not crumbs) 

Press mixture over base and sides of a 20cm round springform pan. 

Refrigerate while preparing filling.

Step 2
Place boiling water in a small heatproof jug. 

Sprinkle over gelatine. Whisk with a fork until gelatine dissolves. 

Set aside to cool.

Step 3
Roughly chop remaining biscuits. 

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add cream. Beat until combined. 

Melt white chocolate, if using a microwave melt in short bursts and mix well as it can burn quickly.

 

With motor running, gradually add cooled gelatine mixture and cooled chocolate, beating until combined. 

Fold in chopped biscuits.

Spoon mixture over base.

 Refrigerate overnight or until set.

Top with extra biscuits. Serve.