Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Brittle

Chocolate cake has always been my go to dessert - be it fudgy, fluffy, moist or cakey - I LOVE THEM ALL. So I figured it was about time to start exploring all the recipes on the web but by a chance of fate, a friend recommended the Brown Betty's cookbook. 

                                           

An inter generational Southern style bakery in Philly that whips up rich, luscious and moist Southern style cakes - MY FAVOURITE KIND. The sour cream here adds moisture and some tang and extra eggs makes your batter more dense and rich. It was a sweet success - fudgey, moist and rich. 

I decided to skip the buttercream altogether and go with my own chocolate cream cheese frosting (a personal favourite). Do note the proportion of cream cheese to icing sugar is larger because I like mine more creamy and tangy! The peanut brittle was actually a food souvenir from Penang, Malaysia but can also be found in many traditional bakeries island wide in Singapore. 

                                  

For the Chocolate Sour Cream Cake (Adapted from Hummingbird High)

(makes one 9-inch, 2-layer cake)

•   Slightly less than 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

•   ¼ cup + 1.5 tablespoons cocoa

•   1 large eggs, at room temperature

•   1 large egg yolks, at room temperature

•   3/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

•   1 1/8 cups cake flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

•   1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

•   7/8 cups granulated sugar

•   1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup water, boiling

For the Chocolate Sour Cream Cake:

1.) Preheat the oven to 175C

2.) In a medium bowl, mix together sour cream, cocoa powder, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla until smooth.

3.) Beat flour, sugar, salt, baking soda on low speed till just blended

4.) Add unsalted butter and half of the cocoa mixture (from the second step) to the flour mixture (from the third step) and beat until the dry ingredients are moist.

5.) Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining cocoa mixture in 2 batches, beating well after each addition. Add 1/4 cup boiling water and beat until smooth.

6.) Bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30-35 mins. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

     (Tip : Let the cake (or cupcakes) cool for 5 minutes and seal in a ziplock bag to retain the cake's moistness!)

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (Makes enough for 1 9inch cake)

• 110g room temperature cream cheese
• 30g softened unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons Hershey's 100% cocoa powder

1.) Cream butter till soft and fluffy, then beat in vanilla.

2.) Added sifted icing sugar and cocoa, then beat till combined.

3.) Mix in cream cheese and beat till your desired consistency. (I like mine a lil stiff!) 

Frost cupcakes with a piping bag, or go 'rustic' with a frosting spatula like I did.