Chocolate Angel Food Cupcakes

Here is a cupcake that I made for my mother in laws gathering for Fourth of July.

 

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 Tb cocoa powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 6 large egg whites at room temperature*
• 2 1/2 Tb warm water
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp cream of tartar
Topping
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 6 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder, plus more for dusting (optional)**
• Fresh strawberries, raspberries or blueberries, or chocolate covered berries

 

 

 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a food processor, pulse sugar until super fine, about 2 minutes (if you don't have a food processor caster sugar should also work). In a mixing bowl, sift together the sugar, the flour, cocoa powder and the salt. (I ignored the salt, but left it in the ingredients in case you wanted to follow directions, I avoid salt when I can though).
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg whites, water, vanilla extract and cream of tartar until well combined, about 2 minutes. Switch to a hand mixer and whip mixture on medium speed while slowly adding 1 tablespoon of sugar to mixture, until medium peaks form. Sift or sprinkle just enough of the flour mixture in to evenly dust the top of the egg white mixture and using a spatula gently fold flour layer into egg white mixture and continue this process until all of the flour mixture has been incorporated (I did this by using a 1/4 cup measuring cup and gently sprinkling until the egg whites mixture was covered).
• Divide batter among paper lined muffin cups, filling each cup nearly full. Bake in preheated oven 18 - 20 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely then spread Chocolate Cream Cheese Whipped Cream over cupcakes just before serving, dust with cocoa if desired and top with fresh fruit.

For the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Topping:

• In a mixing bowl whip heavy cream until soft peaks form.
• In a separate mixing bowl, whip cream cheese until light and fluffy. Mix in cocoa powder.
• Combine whip cream into cream cheese mixture and whip again.
• Spread on cooled cupcakes or use a piping bag to apply topping.

Optional sprinkles and blueberries...possibly strawberries next time ;-)

 

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy.