Milo Cupcakes

We, especially Malaysians & Singaporeans grew up drinking Milo. It is a staple breakfast drink in most households and is served  in all coffee shops. If you're reading and wondering what Milo is, it is actually a brand name of a chocolate malted drink. Heard of Ovaltine? But Ovaltine somehow is not as popular as Milo. 

Instead of drinking that mug of Milo, how about eating one for a change ... a Milo cupcake? I made these Milo cupcakes the other day just for this month's  Aspiring Baker's cupcake theme. I used a recipe adapted from the Primrose Bakery Cupcakes cookbook and frosted them with Swiss Meringue Buttercream.  These Milo cupcakes were soft and moist and very Milo-y. Yummy!  One little issue though, the crumb stuck to my teeth everytime I took a bite! I'm wondering whether this is because I've added too much Milo? The original recipe ask for half the amount I used. Hmmm .... anybody knows why?      




Milo Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Primrose Bakery Cupcakes cookbook

Ingredients:
110g butter, softened
120g soft brown sugar 
100g caster sugar
2 large eggs
125g self raising flour
60g cake flour
100g Milo powder
125ml milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs heavy cream


Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160C and line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases. 
2. In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and the sugars until pale and smooth. 
3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing into the mixture between additions. 
4. In a separate bowl, sift and combine together the flours and Milo powder.
5. Mix the milk together with vanilla extract and heavy cream.
6.  Add 1/3 of the flour to the creamed butter/sugar mixture.  Beat well until combined. Then, add 1/3 of the milk mixture and beat again.  Repeat this step until the last of the flour and then the last of the milk, beating well between additions. 
7. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases.  Fill about 2/3 full. 
8. Bake for about 25 mins until golden brown or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
9. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes. 
10. Then turn out to cool completely on a wire rack. 

Note:
I bake the cupcakes in small size muffin tins and yielded 28 cupcakes which took 20 minutes to bake.



Swiss Meringue Buttercream
(Recipe adapted from Table for 2 or more)

Ingredients:
2 egg whites
100gm sugar
170gm unsalted butter, lightly softened

Method:

1. Put the sugar and egg whites in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and temperature has reached 65C. The mixture will look like marshmallow cream. Remove from stove.
2. Pour meringue into a mixing bowl. Beat the meringue on medium speed until it cools and forms a thick shiny meringue, about 5 minutes.
3. Now add in add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, beating until smooth. Mixture will be soupy and maybe curdled. Do not worry. It will come together nicely in the end. Carry on beating on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, approximately  6-10 minutes. 

I'm submitting this post to Aspiring Baker's #13: Enjoy Cupcakes! (November 2011) hosted by Min of Min's Blog.