Mocha Snack Cakes

Who doesn’t love a little cake for a snack? Especially one made with chocolate and coffee. They’re dangerously easy to make. You can make them in this mini springform pan, or in a regular muffin-size pan for a slightly larger snack. You can top them with all manner of things. I like fresh fruit, nuts and cacao nibs… for health! They are easy to hold and can be eaten in 2 or 3 bites, perfect for a party. Or as a solitary treat with coffee in the middle of a wintry afternoon. Not that I’d know anything about that. No siree…

Mocha Snack Cakes
Makes 16 mini cakes or 12 regular muffin-sized cakes
slightly adapted from here

For the Cakes:
200g dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil, divided
1/2 cup plain Greek yoghurt
200g golden caster sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon espresso coffee powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water to make a coffee extract
200g plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

To Serve:
200ml whipping cream
1/2 tablespoon icing sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
Assortment of fruit, nuts, cacao nibs, grated chocolate, sprinkles… the list goes on.

For the Cakes:
Preheat the oven to 180C. Spray your cake pan with cooking oil spray and set aside.

Put the chocolate and 1/4 cup of the oil into a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Don’t let the bowl touch the water. Heat until melted and smooth and remove from the heat. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of oil with the yoghurt, sugar, eggs, vanilla and coffee extract. Set aside.

In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour the yoghurt mixture into the well. Stir until combined, then add the chocolate mixture and stir until just combined. Don’t over mix.

Divide the batter between the cups and bake for 15 minutes for the mini cakes and 20 minutes for the regular muffin-size cakes. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out with moist crumbs sticking to it.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completey.

To Serve:
Whip the cream with the icing sugar to firm peaks.

Top each little cake with a dollop of slightly sweetened whipped cream and adorn with toppings of your choice. Dust with icing sugar.