Page 321 - Chocolate Cake Doctor

M U F F I N S , C U P C A K E S , A N D L I T T L E C A K E S 303

Chocolate Substitutions

• When the recipe calls for 1 ounce of commercial ones, but they’ll work in a
semisweet chocolate and you have pinch. Chop the chocolate into ⁄4-inch
1
none, add about ⁄2 ounce unsweetened pieces, either by dicing it as you would
1
1
chocolate plus 2 ⁄3 teaspoons sugar, or a block of cheese or by creating choco -
add 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons late flakes. To make flakes, starting at
unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 table - one end of the chocolate square or
1
spoon plus ⁄2 teaspoon sugar, and block, cut ⁄8-inch-thick shavings, using
1
1 ⁄2 teaspoons butter. a rocking motion with your knife. Keep
1
this motion going, firmly pressing the
• When the recipe calls for semisweet chocolate against the knife, until all the
chips and all you have is semisweet chocolate has been shaved into flakes.
bar chocolate, don’t run out to the Use these flakes or the diced chocolate
supermarket! If you have a sharp knife, on top of brownies or pies, in cakes, or
you can make your own. The chips in frosting or glaze recipes that call for
won’t be as heat-tolerant as the semisweet chocolate chips.

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven look thick and well combined. Fold in
and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 the chocolate chips, making sure they
muffin cups with paper liners. Set the are well distributed throughout the bat-
pans aside. ter. Spoon the batter into the lined muf-
fin cups, filling each liner three quarters
2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix,
of the way full. Place the pans in the
sour cream, water, oil, and eggs in a
oven.
large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric
mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop 3. Bake the muffins until they spring
the machine and scrape down the sides back when lightly pressed with your fin-
of the bowl with a rubber spatula. ger and a toothpick inserted in the center
Increase the mixer speed to medium and comes out clean, 23 to 27 minutes.
beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides Remove the pans from the oven and place
down again if needed. The batter should them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes.