Fudgey Bittersweet Chocolate and Cheesecake Cupcakes

Come Hallowe’en, I become obsessed by all things pumpkin pie. Even though I make (in my opinion) the best pumpkin pie, the Clever Boyfriend and my nearby friends hate the stuff, and thus I’m usually left to eat most of the thing myself. This means I have to limit myself to making it once a year (I don’t want an entire pumpkin pie going straight to my thighs on a regular basis, you see…) and it becomes even more special.

Since not everyone is a fan of the traditional Hallowe’en pumpkin flavours (and those that are usually already have a favourite recipe), these little cakes are a great alternative. Their richness seems Hallowe’en appropriate, and the eggless base becomes a dark, fudgey (almost truffle-like) base which is offset nicely by the sweeter cheesecake top. And the best part? It impossible to eat more than a couple of these, so your thighs will generally be happier…

INGREDIENTS:

Bittersweet chocolate base:
190g plain flour
125g caster sugar
40g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
45ml vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp white vinegar (you won’t taste this, but it is essential to react with the bicarb soda to make the cakes rise)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cheesecake top:
150g reduced fat cream cheese
60g caster sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
100g dark chocolate chips

Cream cheese frosting:
150g reduced fat cream cheese
150g icing sugar (sifted)
50g butter (room temperature)

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 170c / 325f

For the chocolate base:
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and bicarb soda until combined.
In a separate jug, stir together the oil, vinegar, vanilla and 125ml water.
Slowly add the liquid mix to the dry ingredients, mixing constantly. The mixture will become very thick; continue to beat until all the ingredients are completely combined. If mixing by hand rather than electric beater, you may need to add a little more water to allow the ingredients to combine – do this by slowly adding 1 teaspoon of water at a time until you have a thick, fudgey consistency.
Spoon the mixture into a muffin tray lined with paper cases (each case should be 2/3 full).

For the cheesecake topping:
In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese, egg, sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth and fluffy. Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly dispersed (do not overmix).
Scoop this mixture on top of the chocolate mixture (about 1 tablespoon in each case).

Bake for around 20 minutes, or until the cakes are firm to touch and the cheesecake has become golden (do not overcook as cheesecake will become dry).
Leave to cool slightly before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting: beat together the icing sugar and butter until the mixture is creamy and well combined. Add the cream cheese and beat until completely incorporated. Continue beating at high speed until the whole mixture becomes light and fluffy (about 5 mins).

Once cool, ice each cake with the cream cheese frosting (below) and a sprinkling of cocoa powder.

Makes 12 regular cupcakes.

What are you making for Hallowe’en?

Love, Miss B xx

Mulberry’s treat-or-treat

I don’t know whether it’s because my imagination was over-stimulated as a child, but I tend to get ridiculously excited by themed holidays, especially Hallowe’en. When I was younger, we lived in a great big ancient house, with high ceilings, chandeliers and furniture carved with lions heads; perfect for telling ghost stories and playing spooky games. But as Australia tries to resist all form of gimmick (and because Hallowe’en there falls in Spring), it never quite felt right. So this year, I’m all about getting into the ghoulish spirit!

Apart from a hideously sprained ankle (which has left me with a rather attractive hobble), today was one of those perfect Autumn days in London. After indulging in new treats at Liberty and afternoon tea at Sketch, I limped down to Bond Street to drool over the bags in Mulberry (which lately is becoming a mild obsession to rival my love for Chanel).

I nearly squeeled with delight when I saw the store: it’s been temporarily transformed into a Hallowe’en grotto meets accessories heaven! Beautiful tan bags were perched atop pumpkins (carved with Mulberry bags and trees rather than ghoulish faces), and the clothes are the couture equivalent of Autumn leaves. And please gods of Hallowe’en, may I have everything in the window for my trick-or-treat?

And the best part? Pop into the store and you’ll come away with a trick-or-treat bag filled with old-fashioned candy. I brought a couple home for the Clever Boyfriend and his eyes lit up like a happy kid (he’s now in the subsequent sugar coma stage…).

Do you do anything to mark Hallowe’en? What would be your dream tick-or-treat surprise?

Love, Miss B xx

Papercut maps by Famille Summerbelle

As I discussed here, I have a huge thing for globes, vintage maps, whimsical souvenirs and momentos gathered on my travels. This love extends to my walls, and I love foraging antique stores and flea markets for antique postcards and maps of cities that are special to me.

The sudden arrival of late Autumn’s short days and frosty weather have me craving cosy nights in, which of course triggers my nesting urge and the desire to fill my home with things I know I’ll love to look at each day (the past week I’ve been all about masses of scented candles, lovely baking smells, piles of good books, and gorgeous flowers in every room of the house).

These papercut maps by Julie Mirabelle of Famille Summerbelle are simply perfect for decorating one’s wall – whimsical, fun, and brilliant souvenirs of one’s travels across the globe. Moreover, I have fond memories of making papercut garlands and decorations with my mother when I was younger, and so these brilliantly combine happy memories with my love of travel.

The London version is at the top of my current list of things to collect – my only problem is deciding which colour to get! Also be sure to pay a visit to Julie’s gorgeous blog – one of my favourite Sunday-morning-with-a-cup-of-tea reads.

So tell me, what do you love collecting for the home or on your travels?

Love, Miss B xx