Afternoon Tea Cakes
Submitted by emptyarms2002
Old-fashioned chocolate coconut tea cakes with a sour cream crumb and a cinnamon-scented chocolate glaze spread while warm. Twelve dainty cupcakes for afternoon tea or coffee with a friend.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minThese tea cakes sit somewhere between a cupcake and a tender chocolate snacking cake, with shredded coconut folded right into the batter and a cinnamon-spiked chocolate glaze that goes on while the cakes are still warm. The warm-glaze application is what makes them special, the chocolate sinks in just slightly and creates a glossy, fudgy top instead of a stiff cap.
Dissolving the cocoa powder in hot water before adding it to the batter is a step that punches up the chocolate flavor more than people expect. The hot liquid blooms the cocoa, releasing flavor compounds that stay locked up when you just stir the powder into a cold batter.
Sour cream plus baking soda is the leavening trick. The acid in the sour cream reacts with the soda for instant lift, and the dairy keeps the crumb tender even when the cakes sit on a rack overnight (which they shouldn’t, you should eat them).
Pro Tips
- Spread the glaze when the cakes are barely warm to the touch, hot cakes melt the glaze into a thin run-off, cold cakes leave it sitting in a stiff dome
- Use Dutch-process cocoa for a deeper, fudgier flavor or natural cocoa for a brighter, more chocolatey punch
- Sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut both work, sweetened gives a chewier, candy-like bite
- Fill the muffin cups three-quarters full only, overfilled cups bake into mushroomed tops that crack the glaze
- These keep two days at room temperature in a tin, the glaze actually firms up and improves overnight
Variations
- Stir ¼ teaspoon of espresso powder into the cocoa-water mix to deepen the chocolate flavor
- Add ½ cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter for double-chocolate intensity
- Swap shredded coconut for chopped toasted almonds or hazelnuts for a different textural twist
Ingredients
Directions
The light and moist cupcakes have a delicate cinnamon-scented chocolate glaze that’s spread over them while they are still warm.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375℉ (190℃). Line twelve 2½-inch muffin cups with paper liners.
Place cocoa in a small bowl and stir in ½ cup very hot tap water to dissolve.
In a large bowl combine the melted butter and sugar; beat with an electric mixer until blended. Add the egg and beat until light, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cocoa mixture and beat until smooth. In a small bowl stir together the sour cream and baking soda. Stir this mixture into the butter-sugar mixture. Add the flour and vanilla; beat quickly, just until evenly blended. With a spoon stir in the coconut.
Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, dividing it evenly among them; they will be about three-quarters full. Bake about 20 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the tea cakes from the pan and cool slightly on a rack while you prepare the glaze.
- Spread about 2 teaspoons of the chocolate glaze on each of the warm tea cakes and let cool thoroughly.
Chocolate Glaze:
Makes ½ cup Drizzle this simple and tasty glaze over the afternoon tea cakes or over any cake that’s been frosted with seven-minute caramel frosting. 1. In a small saucepan combine the butter with 2 tablespoons water. Place over low heat, add the chocolate, and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture thickens slightly; remove from the heat. 2. In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar and cinnamon; stir in the chocolate mixture and the vanilla to make a smooth glaze.
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