These gorgeous little cakes make for a perfect treat. Genius baker, Julie Le Clerc, has created this recipe to share, showcasing Valrhona chocolate pearls as crunchy morsels of delight.
Makes 12 small cakes
For the cakes:
125g Lewis Road Creamery unsalted butter, softened
150g caster sugar
3 small free-range eggs
1 teaspoon Heilala pure vanilla bean paste
½ cup sour cream
150g Girolomoni organic ‘00’ flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup Valrhona Crunchy Pearls
Chocolate frosting:
150g Lewis Road Creamery unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup Valrhona cocoa powder, sifted
330g icing sugar
1 teaspoon Heilala pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
To decorate:
½ cup Valrhona Crunchy Pearls
Mini Easter eggs (optional)
Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan bake). Grease 12 small cake tins or line standard muffin tins with paper cases.
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat until well combined.
Sift the flour and baking powder over the creamed mixture and then use a wooden spoon to stir together until just combined. Stir in the chocolate pearls.
Spoon mixture into prepared cake tins, dividing it evenly – each will be about two-thirds full. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of one comes out clean. Remove to cool completely in the tins.
Once cold, pipe or spread with frosting and decorate with more chocolate pearls and seasonal adornments if desired, such as mini Easter eggs.
To make the frosting, put the butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until pale and creamy. Beat in the cocoa on a low speed.
Add the icing sugar and mix on low speed until fully incorporated then beat in the vanilla and milk. Continuing beating on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes to whip air into the frosting and make it light and fluffy.
Recipe by Julie Le Clerc
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