When we bake our chocolate cupcakes, we do a lesson about cacao. We show the children what the cacao tree and cacao pods look like, as well as the cacao beans. We explain that cacao beans are crushed to form a fine cacao powder that we use in baking. The children learn about the colour brown, smell the cacao powder and taste that cacao is bitter, not sweet. The little ones we work with still need a lot of sensory stimulation, something we touch on with the cacao lesson.
Ingredients
Dough
1 cup cake flour
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
Pinch of salt
½ cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Icing
400 g icing sugar
130 g butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp milk
Butter can be replaced with margarine for the icing.
Method for chocolate cupcakes
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
Dough
Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together. In separate bowl, whisk egg and add liquids.
Mix liquids with dry ingredients and whisk very well until no lumps are left (You can use a handheld electric mixer and mix for approximately 2-3 minutes).
Bake for 10-12 minutes at 180°C.
Icing
Mix everything together until fluffy and light. (Approximately 10 – 15 mins). Butter should be soft, but not melted.
Add food colouring of your choice and mix into the icing. Decorate cupcakes once they have been cooled down.