Naeema who volunteers with us and is taking the Level 2 Horticulture course at Hawkwood adapted this recipe from one she found online.
Ingredients: 2 tsp lemon juice 175 ml coconut milk 175g plain flour 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 50g raw cacao (or cocoa powder) 75g rape seed oil (or unsalted butter, softened) 175g dark muscovado sugar ½ cup soya yoghurt (or 2 large eggs, beaten) 6-10 cape gooseberries For the chocolate frosting: 200g raw cacao (or dark chocolate) 150ml silken tofu (or soured cream) 12-18 Cape GooseberriesPreheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and grease 18 cupcake cases.
Stir the lemon juice into the milk and set aside. Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cacao/cocoa powder together.
Beat the rapeseed oil (or butter) until creamy and then gradually beat in the sugar. Beat in the yoghurt (or eggs) a little at a time and then fold in the flour mixture alternately with the milk.Remove cape gooseberries from their paper-like wrappers, chop and stir in.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer pushed into the centre of a cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, chop and melt the cacao nibs or 175 g (6oz) of the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Leave until melted, stirring occasionally until smooth. Stir in the tofu or soured cream and if necessary chill to thicken, then spread over the tops of the cupcakes. Grate the remaining chocolate and sprinkle over the cupcakes. Decorate each with a whole cape gooseberry with its papery covering folded back.
