my first ever moist chocolate cupcake from scratch

I actually did it! My first attempt at baking cupcakes from scratch and it was a success! Yahooo!!! Since last year (or was it 2 years ago?), when I started using the instant mixes to make cupcakes, muffins and brownies, I promised myself that I would learn how to bake from scratch. And then, as time passed and I found out our friends could bake really nice cakes and even made them for parties, I became even more determined. I don’t plan on competing with them, I just want to be able to bake.

What was stopping me? I didn’t have an electric mixer...you know, the ones that you just have to plug in and it mixes the ingredients in several speeds. All I had were a couple of whisks and spatulas. Whenever I searched the internet for recipes, they always required mixing in high/medium speed for so and so minutes, and I didn’t have the energy or strength to manually mix for so fast for so long. I kept telling Hubby that I wanted a mixer but he always answered “Tama na yung mga instant tulad ng Betty Crocker” or “Hindi mo naman kailangan yun, eh” or “Matuto ka muna magluto ng totoong pagkain.” Sabagay, may point =)

But when Caila told us that she wanted to celebrate her birthday at school, I was hesitant to let her classmates eat cupcakes (yes, she finally agreed...but she still has to have a cake to cut) that were courtesy of Betty Crocker or Pillsbury. Even though they’re kids and they most probably would be happy with whatever kind of cake they were served, I’d still be disappointed with myself...especially since Mama always made really delicious and beautiful cakes for me and my siblings during our birthdays when we were kids. So, I searched the net again for recipes that didn’t need electric mixers and finally, finally found one that looked delicious, yet easy to do.

I followed the entire recipe exactly the way it was printed, except, since I was making several cupcakes instead of a whole cake, the baking time was reduced to 18 minutes. Plus I added raisins.

Caila was the first one to try my practice batch. Actually, she had wanted to help me with the mixing and pouring, and normally I would have allowed her, but this was my first attempt and I wanted to do everything myself. So I told her she would be my Quality Control Officer, just so that she’d stop pestering me and she’d feel she had a more important role of helping.

And my cupcake got the QC Officer’s approval! In the past, when I baked anything using the instant mixes, she would only eat about half of the piece. But with mine, she ate an entire cupcake...and later, when I took the second practice batch out of the oven, she wanted to eat another one! It was that good! Even Mama told me that it was delicious because it was so moist...much better daw than the Betty Crocker ones. And of course a compliment like that from Mama means such a lot!


just in time for Valentines Day

a look at the non-decorated ones

Next goal: Martha Stewart’s Apple Cupcakes with Cheesecake Frosting. And for that, I’ll really need an electric mixer.

Mahal, ok na sa akin yung mixer para sa Valentine’s Day. Kahit ipagsama mo yung para sa birthday ko. Basta gusto ko yung Kenwood na may stand at kasamang bowl ha =)