Chocolate Babycakes Recipes

Steps:

• Position oven racks so the cakes will bake in the middle of the oven; preheat oven to 400F.
• Grease and line six 6-ounce custard cups or souffle dishes.
• Here's how; using a pastry brush, lightly grease the bottom and sides of each pan with room-temperature solid shortening; place each pan on a sheet of parchment paper and trace around the bottom of the pan with a pencil, then cut out the traced shape with scissors; lay the parchment in the pan and use your hand to smooth out any wrinkles; if desired, lightly brush the paper with more solid shortening for easy removal of the paper after baking.
• Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool slightly.
• In a bowl or food processor, combine the butter, granulated sugar, salt and eggs and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed or process until well blended; add the flour and blend well.
• Add the vanilla and cooled chocolate and blend until smooth.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared baking dishes and smooth the surfaces with a small rubber spatula.
• Place on a baking sheet, transfer to the oven, and bake until the tops are well puffed, about 17 minutes.
• Remove the baking dishes to a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes, then run a thin knife blade around the sides of each cake and invert directly onto individual serving plates; peel off the parchment.
• Sift a little powdered sugar over the tops of the cakes.
• James McNair recommends serving by spooning custard sauce or creme anglaise around each cake, then add dollops of mango and raspberry purees and swirling with a wooden skewer; he also recommends using edible gold leaf as the garnish instead of powdered sugar.

Steps:

• For the Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small mixing bowl add the baking soda, salt, baking powder and flour. Mix thoroughly with a fork and set aside. In a large mixing bowl add the eggs, honey, both sugars and butter. Mix until smooth using a hand mixer. Add the cinnamon and baby food. Mix until smooth. Using a rubber spatula fold in the pecans. Slowly add the flour mixture using a sifter and fold in until ingredients are evenly mixed.
• Place 24 mini baking cups (2-inch, nonfoil) into each hole of the mini muffin pan. Place a 1-gallon resealable freezer bag into a bowl (for support) and pour the cupcake batter into the bag. Seal the bag and cut the tip off 1 of the bottom corners of the bag. Squeeze the batter into each baking cup, filling them only 3/4 of the way full. Place the mini muffin pan in the oven on the center rack. Bake for 12 minutes.
• For the Frosting: In a small mixing bowl add the extracts, milk, cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and creamy using a hand mixer. When the cupcakes are done baking remove each cupcake from the pan and place on a cooling rack. Place the cooling rack in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Once the cupcakes are cooled remove them from the refrigerator. Frost each cupcake by putting a generous dollop of frosting on the top with a spoon. Garnish top with ground pecans and they are ready to serve.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over low heat, bring the brandy and orange juice to a simmer. Add the cherries, simmer 1 minute and turn off the heat. Soak the cherries in the warm mixture until they plump up, about 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Set a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Place the chocolate and the butter into the bowl and let it sit over the heat until the chocolate begins to melt. Stir to combine and continue to heat until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is completely melted. Remove from the heat.
• In a large bowl, beat together the whole eggs, yolks and sugar until the mixture turns light and thick.
• Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture. Beat in the flour until just combined. Do not over-mix the batter.
• Butter 6 (4-ounce) ramekins. Sprinkle each ramekin with 1 teaspoon cocoa powder and tap out the excess. Divide the batter among the ramekins. Drain the cherries and put a few cherries into the center of each ramekin. Use a spoon to push the batter over the cherries to cover them.
• Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 7 to 9 minutes. The outside of the desserts will be set, but the centers will be soft.
• To serve, invert each mold on a plate and let sit for 10 seconds. Slowly lift one side of the mold and the cake will fall out. (If the cakes won't easily come out, just serve them right in the cups.)
• DB note: These little desserts are easy to make ahead. Refrigerate them in the baking cups and when you're ready to bake, bring them up to room temperature and bake as above.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter 12 holes of a deep muffin tray and line each hole with a strip of baking parchment - this will help you lift out the brownies later (or line 16 holes of 2 trays with muffin cases). Put the butter, 150g of the chocolate, sugar and vanilla in a heatproof bowl, suspended over a pan of barely simmering water. Heat gently, stirring now and again until melted, then remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few mins. Meanwhile, sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and a good pinch of salt together in a large bowl.
• Add the warm, melted chocolate mixture, the eggs, cherries and the remaining 50g chocolate to the dry ingredients, then mix until just combined. Divide the mixture between the holes of the muffin tray/cases, making sure each one gets a few pieces of cherry. Bake for 18 mins until cooked but still gooey in the centre - they will continue cooking a little as they cool down. Leave to cool for 30 mins in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely, or eating warm with a dollop of cream, a dusting of cocoa and extra cherries on top, if you like.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 36 mini muffin cups with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix chocolate chips, pecans, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and 1 of the eggs until blended. Cover and refrigerate.
• In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and remaining egg until soft dough forms. Shape dough into 36 (1-inch) balls; place in muffin cups. Bake 8 minutes or until edges are set.
• Spoon chilled chocolate chip mixture evenly over baby cakes. Bake 8 minutes longer. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Steps:

• Melt 3 ounces chocolate in a double boiler, let cool.
• Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy for 30 sec.
• Add egg yolk and stir in flour, melted chocolate.
• Beat egg white in a separate bowl until foamy with 1 tbsp sugar.
• Fold into chocolate mixture.
• Fill 8 mini muffin tins 2/3 full.
• Drop 1/2 tsp of jam in center and refill with mixture.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minute Let Cool.
• Dip top of cakes with glaze prepared from cream and 1 oz of chocolate mixed together.
• Top with raspberries if desired.