Cauldron Cakes for Eggless Baking

WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

My daughters are Harry Potter Crazy! There is no word for it.

So I was not too surprised when my elder daughter suggested a HP themed party for her younger sister who was to be 11 this year. In preparation she had surfed the net for all the dishes mentioned in the books. (this was a surprise to the b’day gal boy was she bugged because we did “khusr phusr” without her!!

So I had the recipes for treacle tart, pumpkin juice, stew and this Cauldron Cake. The highlight!!

Around the same time Gayatri asked us to suggest recipes for egg less baking in a crazy moment I suggested this Cauldron Cake. I need to mention here I did not expect her to choose this recipe I was insecure of making this recipe with eggs and egg less?

As you know eggless cakes are very delicate. Handling them needs you to be deft. To exemplify I had 24 cup cakes or muffins and still I got only 2 finalists the rest were all runners up.

Did I have complaints about the cake? No sir not a pip from anyone! 

Thanks Gayatri if it had not been for this challenge I would have ordered the cake from the bakery. Of course these were not on the menu for the party! (I made another cake with eggs for that.)

Here is how you make it I have just substituted eggs and sour cream rest is copy paste.

Cauldron Cakes

Recipe Source: Pastry Affair

Devil's Food Cupcakes: Martha Stewart

INGREDIENTS

•         3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

•         3/4 cup hot water

•         3 cups all-purpose flour

•         1 teaspoon baking soda

•        1 teaspoon baking powder

•         1 1/2 cups Amul  butter

•         2 1/4 cups sugar

•         1 cups milk, room temperature

•          4 tsp vinegar

•         1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

•        1 cup curd +1 tsp baking powder

Chocolate Glaze
6ounces (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate
4 tablespoons butter

Method:

1.   Preheat oven to 160ºC. (This is because I use the convection on the micro else it will have to be 180ᵒC.)

2.   Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.

3.   Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth.

4.   In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder.

5.   Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine.

6.   Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes.

7.   Add vinegar and milk little by little, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

8.   Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low.

9.   Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each.

10. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three- quarters full. Bake, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

11. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.

12. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

For Chocolate Glaze

1.      Melt together the chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth.

2.     Glaze will be relatively thick.

3.     Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes before use. If chocolate thickens too much, return to heat and stir until smooth and melted once more.

To assemble

1.      Using a knife cut out a cavity in the bottom of the cupcake. When using a knife, run it in a circular motion around the cupcake, while always pointing the knife towards the center (this will make the cavity cone shaped).

2.      Dip the top of the cupcake into the chocolate glaze.

3.     Flip the cupcakes right side up and let rest until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

4.      To make the cauldron feet, take 3 chocolate chips and form a small triangle, placing each chocolate chip roughly an inch from the others. Place the top of a cupcake onto the chocolate chips and push down ever so slightly so the chocolate chips will stick into the chocolate glaze. Repeat for the rest of the cupcakes. (I could not do this so cauldrons are feetless).

5.      Using a knife spread the glaze around the rims of the cupcake. (You could pipe it too).

6.      I filled the icing gun with the butter icing and piped it into the cavity of the cupcakes.

To make cauldron handle:

1.     Melt the remaining chocolate chips, stir until smooth, and place into a pastry bag.

2.     You don't need a special tip for this step simply cut off the very end of the pastry bag which was sufficient.

3.     Pipe out the handles on a butter paper.

4.      Let the chocolate set until hardened, approximately 30 minutes, before very carefully peeling off of the non-stick surface and placing into the top of each cupcake. (This is the step where I broke all my handles so be careful).

Linking this to Bake Fest

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