Chocolate Muffins with Meringue Cream

Every housewife (or owner who is familiar with the arrangement of pots, bowls and molds in the kitchen) needs a universal recipe, according to which, in a short time, without fuss and hassle, it would be possible to organize a cake or small cupcakes. This cream cake recipe is just that – effortless.

Ingredients

For cupcakes:

• Cocoa powder (better Danish processing) – 1 ¼ cup
• Flour – 2 ½ cups
• Sugar – 2 ½ cups
• Baking soda – 2 ½ teaspoon.
• Baking powder – 1 ¼ teaspoon.
• Table salt – 1 ¼ teaspoon.
• Large eggs – 2 pcs.
• Egg yolk – 1 pc.
• Warm water – 1 ¼ cup
• Buttermilk (or sour milk or low-fat yogurt) – 1 ¼ cup
• Butter, melted and chilled – ½ cup and 2 tbsp
• Vanilla extract – 1 ¼ teaspoon
  *

For the cream:

• Sugar – 1 ½ cups
• Egg whites – 6 pcs.
• Salt – a pinch
• Tartar – ¼ teaspoon
• Butter, room temperature – 450 g
• Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Place paper cakes in muffin cups.
2. Combine cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add eggs, yolk, water, buttermilk, butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth for 3 minutes.
4. Divide the dough into molds (halfway up). Bake the muffins in the tins in the oven for about 20 minutes (turn the tins after 10 minutes). You can check that the muffins are done with a wooden stick
5. Transfer the prepared muffins in the tins to the wire rack and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove from molds and cool completely. Cover with meringue cream (see below for how to make the cream).