Designer Chocolate Baby Grands

These are unfinished cupcakes.

There are 3 parts to it, and I did only 2 and I stopped. I didn’t want to. I was forced to stop, because there’s no space to fill in the final part. This cupcake is supposed to look flat with a shiny lacquer glaze, just like a serene lake. A graceful swan could've swam in it.

The original recipe was really lengthy and I had to read it a few times to get the whole picture because Rose really talks a lot , a bit too much at times, but sometimes it’s really good. Depends on the weather : )

So here, let me simplify it.

Part One
-33gm cocoa powder (I did 30gm)
-59gm boiling water
In your mixing bowl, combine both to a smooth paste and set it aside, let it cool down.

While it’s cooling down, preheat your oven at 175C. I did mine at 170C. Line 14 muffins pans with paper liners.
Prepare dry ingredients,
-37.5gm all purpose flour
-37.5gm cake flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-½ tsp sodium bicarbonate
-150gm sugar together.
-1/8 tsp salt
Mix all together and set aside.

When the cocoa paste has cooled down, put in
-2 large egg yolks
-54gm corn oil
Beat on medium speed for 1 minute. It’ll look like mayonnaise. Well, it is chocolate mayonnaise 

Put in
-½ tsp vanilla extract.
Beat for a few seconds.
Put in half the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Put in the balance and beat on high speed for 1 minute.

Put in
-2 large egg whites
and whisk on high speed for 2 minutes.
Pour batter into lined muffins pans until 40% full.
Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until skewer comes out clean

Part 2
While cake is baking, prepare the chocolate ganache syrup…. Err… doesn’t look a bit of syrup to me. So thick.
Anyway, here goes.

-85gm milk chocolate (with at least 40% cocoa. For baking, not eating)
-87gm heavy cream (I used whipping cream 36%)
-½ tsp vanilla extract.

Break milk chocolate into small pieces. Put in a microwave safe bowl. Scald cream (cook over medium heat until small bubble appear around the periphery). Pour scalded cream onto chocolate. Leave for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Put in vanilla and stir.

When cakes are done, remove from oven and immediately poke lots of deep holes(I did 20) in each cake using a skewer. Brush syrup over cake. Let the syrup penetrate the cakes. Brush again after all the syrup has penetrated. (After I brush the cakes with the choc syrup, I always put the cakes back into the warm oven so that the warmth will cause the syrup be more liquidy and penetrate better). Continue to apply until all the syrup is used up. Zap the syrup in the microwave if it gets too cool. The syrup penetrates most readily when it is at 43C, almost hot to the touch.

Allow the syrup to set, for about an hour. (Well, in 38C Malaysia, do you think it’ll set at our room temperature? Fat hopes!!!! )

Well, I stopped here, because my cakes couldn’t take in anymore. They were so full.
There’s supposed to be another Lacquer Glaze that I skipped.

So I just decorated the cupcakes with some silver dragees. That’s it, leave them slightly sticky and serve warm. Utterly delicious!!!

The cakes aren’t supposed to be domed. There’re not many online who have tried making this cake, yet. This book is still quite new. I saw one who successfully made it flat. And I also saw some others complaining about the higher than liner dome. I had the same problem, so I decided, if I want to make it as nice as the picture in the book, I’ll do these next time
1. Reduce the baking temp to 160C or 150C.
2. Bake in 15 cups rather than 14.

Either one…. I’ll see how. I’m determined to finish off the recipe, up to the last step.

The cakes are utterly delicious and they don’t harden in the fridge. I took one cold piece out from the fridge and ate it, still soft and fluffy. Ever seen mayonnaise getting solid in the fridge? Never right? That’s why this cake is soft , even when chilled. It’s made with chocolate mayonnaise. The cake itself is a keeper. I'll be using this cake recipe whenever chocolate cake calls. Nothing better than this : )

I will be doing this again, but not near future. I still have loads of to-do’s on my list.

Rearranged Instructions

Part One
-33gm cocoa powder (I did 30gm)
-59gm boiling water
-37.5gm all purpose flour
-37.5gm cake flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-½ tsp sodium bicarbonate
-150gm sugar together.
-1/8 tsp salt
-2 large egg yolks
-54gm corn oil
-½ tsp vanilla extract.
-2 large egg whites


1. In your mixing bowl, combine cocoa powder and boiling water to a smooth paste and set it aside, let it cool down.
2. Preheat your oven at 175C. I did mine at 170C. Line 14 muffins pans with paper liners.
3. Combine all purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, sodium bicarb, sugar and salt. Whisk it.
4. When the cocoa paste has cooled down, put in yolks and oil and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
5. Put in vanilla and beat for a few seconds.
6. Put in half the dry ingredients (3) and beat on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Put in the balance and beat on high speed for 1 minute.
7. Put in egg whites and whisk on high speed for 2 minutes.
8. Pour batter into lined muffins pans until 40% full.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until skewer comes out clean


Part 2


-85gm milk chocolate (with at least 40% cocoa. For baking, not eating)
-87gm heavy cream (I used whipping cream 36%)
-½ tsp vanilla extract.


Break milk chocolate into small pieces. Put in a microwave safe bowl. Scald cream and pour scalded cream onto chocolate. Leave for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Put in vanilla and stir.


When cakes are done, remove from oven and immediately poke lots of deep holes in each cake using a skewer. Brush syrup over cake. Let the syrup penetrate the cakes. If syrup get cold, zap in microwave and repeat brushing until all are used up.


Allow the syrup to set, for about an hour before serving.