GUILT-FREE CUPCAKES
Healthy eaters will thank you for going easy on butter, sugar
Everyone is on a diet right now, and even if your nearest and dearest will eat what you’ve baked, they’ll put up a fuss first. I make it easy on dieters and serve these cocoa cupcakes that are super-reasonable and delicious in their unadorned state and only slightly less reasonable and even better with yogurt.
They get their deep flavour from cocoa powder and a touch of tang and tenderness from buttermilk.
TIPS
Cocoa powder can clump, so even lazy bakers have to sift. Measure, then sift or strain into the bowl of flour. Add the cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda, and whisk everything together to blend completely.
Even when the muffin pans are non-stick, I like to line the wells with cupcake papers (or give them a spray of cooking oil or swish of butter).
Give the butter, sugar and salt a good beating, and then add the eggs one by one. Don’t worry if it curdles. Everything will smooth out once the dry stuff goes in.
So all your cupcakes will be the same size and bake through at the same time, use a cookie scoop to measure out the batter. If you fill a large scoop (with a capacity of 3 tbsp or 45 mL) with batter and level it against the side of the mixing bowl, you’ll get exactly a dozen cupcakes.
The topping is soft and, unlike frosting, won’t hold its shape for long; best to spoon it over the cupcakes when you’re ready to serve them. Or turn the cupcakes and topping into a spoonable dessert: split the cupcakes from top to bottom, put them in a bowl and top with the yogurt mix.