When you want something quick and sweet, and not necessarily in a large batch, these cupcakes may be just the thing for you. They are very soft and have a delightful vanilla flavour. Yoghurt replaces butter and some of the oil, so they have less fat than a regular cupcake would. The brown sugar gives them a fabulous, almost caramel-like, aroma. That being said, you can even sprinkle on some additional brown sugar on tops of them before baking, so it can caramelize.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
100 grams plain flour
4 tablespoons cornflour (corn starch)
2 tablespoons powdered milk
½ teaspoon baking soda
50 grams light brown sugar
200 grams vanilla yoghurt
2 tablespoons oil
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
For the decoration
200 ml double cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Preparation
Sift together the flour with the baking soda, cornflour and powdered milk, place it in a large bowl, add the light brown sugar and whisk to combine thoroughly. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yoghurt, oil and vanilla. Whisk until barely combined, do not overmix the batter, because the cupcakes will be tough. Preheat your oven to 180˚C (350˚F) and prepare a regular 12-hole muffin pan by spraying the cups with baking spray or by lining it with 6 cupcake liners. Divide the batter equally between 6 cups and place them in the oven, then immediately reduce the temperature to 160˚C (325˚F) and bake them for 20-25 minutes.
Let the baked cupcakes cool down completely. While they are on the cooling rack, prepare the whipped cream. Whip the double cream with the vanilla until stiff peaks form, then place about two thirds of the cream in a piping bag with just a corner cut off. Add the cocoa powder to the remaining whipped cream, mix well and place in it another piping bag. Place both bags in another piping bag fitted with a large decorating nozzle (Wilton 1G or 1M) and pipe swirls on the cooled cupcakes. Serve immediately. Yields 6 cupcakes.
