No-one’s really sure why it should be the food of the devil – maybe because of the “sinful” amount of chocolate it contains, or perhaps because it’s the exact opposite of the pale, sweet Angel Cake.
Either way it’s rich and luxurious, with a reddish-brown, dense-but-light texture, traditionally topped with a contrasting white frosting.
Pork Belly’s version is dairy-free (so Rosemary can eat it!) and made even more interesting with a dash of rum and mixed spices.
Devil’s Food Muffins
A rich chocolatey muffin with a light creamy topping
Ingredients
- 80 g dark cocoa powder
- 350 g light muscovado sugar
- 1 tbsp instant coffee
- 200 ml dark rum
- 100 ml boiling water
- 300 g dairy-free margarine
- 150 g dark chocolate broken into pieces
- 5 large free-range eggs beaten together
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean extract
- 220 g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice
- Pinch salt
For the dairy-free ganache/buttercream
- 200g dairy-free white chocolate broken into pieces
- 66g dairy-free margarine
- 125ml dairy-free cream alternative
- 226g icing sugar
- 113g dairy-free margarine
- 1tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan /gas 3 1/Put the cocoa powder,100g of the muscovado sugar and instant coffee in a large measuring jug. Pour over the boiling water and rum and whisk until smooth.
- In a medium pan melt the butter and remaining sugar over a low heat. Add the dark chocolate and slowly melt together, stirring occasionally.
- Once melted, pour the cocoa, the sugar and coffee mixture, eggs and vanilla bean extract into the jug and whisk until combined.
- In a large mixing bowl sieve in the flour, bicarb and baking powder and spices, pour over the chocolate mixture and add a pinch of salt.
- Gently whisk to form a smooth batter.
- Divide this batter equally between approximately 20 muffin cases.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for around 25 minutes.
- When done they will smell chocolatey and a skewer inserted into the centre will come out clean.
- For the dairy-free ganache/buttercream
- In a pan bring the cream alternative and margarine to the boil, remove from heat add the chocolate and stir until combined.
- Allow to cool.
- Cream the margarine and icing sugar together then add the vanilla extract and cooled ganache.
- Beat well until smooth and creamy.
- Pipe or spoon onto the cooled muffins and top with cherry, strawberry or raspberry.
- Note: The muffins texture and flavour improves if you can keep your hands off them for a couple of days!
Other recipes you may like:
• Chocolate Pie
• Chocolate, ginger and chilli brownie
• Eton Mess Cake