Ever wondered how red velvet cake achieves its moist crumbly texture? It’s the addition of sour cream, a little well-known ingredient popular in cakes I tasted during my adventures in the Deep South of the United States (‘tasted’ is an understatement, I devoured them). The sour cream also helps intensify the rich taste and texture of these muffins. I loved the first sight of these cakes when I took them out of the oven: the crackled tops resembled mountain peaks the perfect base for the creamy frosting to sink into. The addition of Supermalt really holds the cakes rich dark colour together, it’s not at all overly sweet or damp as you might expect: think of pouring a cool glass of Supermalt on a summer’s day, with bees buzzing past your ears as you sip the creamy froth oozing over the glass…you have the picture? Well that’s the intensity this cake has on not only your eyes but your tastes buds. Enjoy!
Supermalt Chocolate Muffins
The cake
250 ml Supermalt
250 grams unsalted butter
75 grams cocoa powder
400 grams caster sugar
142 ml sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
275g plain flour
2 ½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
The topping
300g cream cheese
150g icing sugar
125ml double cream (or whipping cream)
Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C/350ºF
Pour the luscious Supermalt into a saucepan, add the butter, then heat until the butter has melted. Then add the cocoa and sugar and whisk well. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the deep dark cake mixture. Finally stir in the flour and bicarbonate of soda.
Next lightly grease 24 muffin tins and divide the cake mixture equally between muffin tins, filling each 3/4 full. Bake for about 12 minutes, then rotate the pans and bake for another 12 minutes until risen. Poke the centre of one of the cakes with a knife, it should be and set in the middle but still soft. Cool in the muffin tin before turning them out.
While the cake’s are cooling down lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and then beat them both together. Add the cream and beat again until it’s all combined. Ice the top of the muffins so that it resembles the frothy top of the Supermalt. Optional extra garnish with pomegranate seeds.
