薄荷巧克力杯子蛋糕 Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

上次在 Facebook 跟大家提及那位十七歳買了我書的大男孩 Saul Darlington, 他前後已依我書中的食譜做了紅蘿蔔蛋糕，辣椒燉牛肉醬，蘋果酥派和烤培根捲腸等等食品。

Remember the 17- year- old young lad Saul Darlington that I told you about? The one who bought my book for his mum and has been following my recipes making quite a few tasty cakes and dishes for his family himself; such as the carrot cake, chilli con carne, apple crumble and bacon wrapped sausages etc. 

上星期他唸書的學院辦慈善籌款，他想做我書中的《 薄荷巧克力杯子蛋糕 》作義賣。

卻不幸臨時病了，正擔心要令同學們失望之際 ; 猜猜誰在最後關頭拔刀相助？並不是 auntie Jane 我呢!

Last week his college organised a charity event, he wanted to bake the《 Mint Chocolate Cupcakes 》from my book to sell to help raise money, but unfortunately he was falling ill on the day. 

Guess who stepped in to help at the last minute and prevented the disappointment all round. Not auntie Jane! 

大家都作出有趣的忖惻。有讀者推想是他爸媽，也有問是他女朋友嗎？甚至有朋友猜可能是我先生、我兒子或是我女兒仗義幫忙。

卻料不到答案竟是這麼簡單，而且是最明顯的：Saul 的媽媽 ，就是了！Saul 媽媽説 :「他那天很不舒服，連起床也感到頭暈眼花，又記掛著要烘蛋糕作義賣的事，我便替他跟妳的食譜做了，讓他好好休息，他很快便復原了。」母愛就是這麼的偉大！

Everybody tried to make guesses.  Somebody thought his parents probably helped him, some asked was it his girlfriend? Some wondered if my husband did it, or was it my son? My daughter?

The answer was actually simple and the most obvious : Saul's mum! Yes, it was her. Saul's mum told me, " He was so ill that day, couldn't even get out of bed, but was very worried about not being able to make the cupcakes, so I stepped in and helped, followed your recipe and baked the cupcakes for him. He had a good rest and recovered well in the end." A mother's love for her child is the greatest in the world!

薄荷巧克力杯子蛋糕

取自我的書《 有碗家傳菜 》p. 257

材料:

( 做 24 個 )

蛋糕 :

• 雞蛋 4 個 約 260g
• 可可粉 cocoa powder 3 湯匙
• 自發麵粉 215g
• 白砂糖 260g
• 無鹽牛油 260g
• 薄荷香油 1 茶匙

裝飾 :

• 糖粉 300g
• 無鹽牛油 55g
• 奶油乳酪 113g
• 雲尼拿香精 1/2 小匙
• 鮮奶 1 大匙
• 薄荷巧克力棒 24 枝

工具 : 

• 2 個 杯子蛋糕烤盤
• 杯子蛋糕紙杯 24 個

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
Taken from my book《 Rice Bowl Tales  》p. 257

Ingredients:
( makes 24 )

For the cupcakes:

• 4 eggs ( about 260g )
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 215g self-raising flour
• 260g unsalted butter
• 260g caster sugar
• 1 tsp peppermint extract

For the decoration:

• 300g icing sugar
• 55g unsalted butter
• 113g full fat soft cheese
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp fresh milk
• 24 mint chocolate sticks

Equipments:

• 2 x cupcakes baking trays
• 24 cupcakes cases

做法 Method :

1.)   烤箱預熱至 170C / 338F / Gas3。將 260g 無鹽牛油和砂糖，以手提打蛋器打 2 分鐘至變淺
       色。蛋液逐次加入快速打勻，再放入薄荷香油拌勻。然後篩進自發麵粉和可可粉，用刮刀
       小力攪勻。

1.)   Preheat oven to 170C / 338F / Gas3.  Use an electric hand-held whisk to beat the 260g unsalted
       butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the beaten egg to the
       butter-sugar mixture in a few successions and whisk quickly. Add the peppermint extract and mix
       well.  Sieve in the flour and cocoa powder and fold everything in gently with a spatula until well
       combined.

2.)   麵糊倒進烤盤上的紙杯內約 8 分滿，烤 15 分鐘，用竹籖插入中央部分，抽出時，蛋糕沒
       黏著物即使可，蛋糕放網架待涼。

3.)  用電動打蛋器將 55g 的室溫無鹽牛油打至軟化，加入奶油乳酪後，打至軟滑。打蛋器調
       低速，加香草精和 330g糖粉，把碗邊的乳酪霜撥到碗中央，打至輕而厚軟。

4.)  用抹刀、湯匙把奶油乳酪霜均勻地塗抹在杯子蛋糕上，灑上可可粉，把薄荷巧克力捧放在
      杯子蛋糕上做裝飾。

2.)   Line a cupcake tray with the cases, and fill each case up to 3/4 full with cake mixture. Put in the
       oven to bake for 15 minutes. Insert a skewer to test for doneness; when the skewer pulls out
       clean with no crumbs sticking to it, then it's done. Leave the cupcakes on the wire rack to cool.

3.)   Beat the 55g unsalted butter until softened. Add the cream cheese and continue to beat until
       smooth. Turn the setting to low, add vanilla extract and the 300g icing sugar. Whisk until soft but
       thick.

4.)   Using a spatula or the back of a spoon spread the cream cheese frosting on top of each cupcake.
       Sprinkle with cocoa powder, and place 2 half mint chocolate sticks on top of the cupcakes to
       decorate.

把這些薄荷巧克力杯子蛋糕放在充滿節日氣氛美麗閃亮的蛋糕紙杯中，聖誕新年期間，款待你的家人親友，必定會大受歡迎。

Place these Mint Chocolate Cupcakes in some festive sparkling cupcake cases,  to serve your family and friends during the Christmas and New Year holidays,  everyone will love them.