One-bowl Steamed Dark Chocolate Cupcakes feat. Coconut Flour

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      I have always wanted to make something in which the main ingredient was cocoa powder. These cupcakes fit the bill, and were quick and easy to boot! While the star of this recipe is cocoa powder, it's certainly worth mentioning the supporting role played by the coconut flour. This was my first time using it in a recipe--I had spotted some in our kitchen and was eager to try it out. I had naïvely thought coconut flour was just very finely ground coconut meat, the refined cousin of shredded coconut. Not quite, it's actually made from dried and defatted coconut meat, or what's left after making coconut milk. As a result, coconut flour has a milder flavor than your typical coconut products and is (very) high-fiber and low-carbohydrate. It is also a good source of protein and healthy fats. The particular brand I was using had 6 grams, or 25% of the suggested daily dietary fiber intake in a mere 2 tablespoon serving. 

      This brings me to my next point, working with coconut flour is tricky. After doing some more research on it for this post, I realized I was pretty lucky to have a functional recipe on my first try. Due to its high fiber content, coconut flour is very absorbent, and recipes using it typically call for equal amounts of liquid and coconut flour. Another difficulty seems to be the variability between different brands of coconut flour. (The link is to a dedicated baker's comparison of 7 different coconut flours). This makes sense, since different companies likely have different ways of producing coconut milk, and thus would end up with different coconut solids as well. 

      Overall, I would say coconut flour is worth the trouble, especially for those who are gluten-intolerant. Coconut flour contributes a pleasant richness to whatever you're making, such as dark chocolate cupcakes!

      I'm actually not a big fan of cupcakes; I find the copious amounts of frosting to be too sweet. But I figured homemade whipped cream, frozen blueberries, and brandy fig jam would be perfect toppings for a cupcake, so I decided to give it a try. Plus, I had gotten some cute silicon cupcake molds from my sister--

       Even better, all six of them fit nicely in the steamer I was using. 

      I was really pleased with how they turned out. I think steaming the cupcakes had something to do with their incredible moistness, which was a great complement to the rich chocolate flavor. The sweetness was just enough to not overpower the faint bitter quality of the cocoa powder. The cupcakes also had an amazing texture, 'spongy' but not overly so (alas, my food vocabulary is quite limited). They were good enough to eat alone, but a few toppings didn't hurt either! The light whipped cream balanced the dense chocolate and the fig jam, while the blueberries added texture and a mellow sweetness. Together, it was my ideal cupcake--not too sweet but with multiple dimensions of flavor and texture. 

One-Bowl Steamed Dark Chocolate Cupcakes--makes 6 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dutch process cocoa powder (regular is okay too) 
• 1/4 cup minus 1 Tb. coconut flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3 eggs, room temperature*
• 3 Tb. honey
• 1/3 cup coconut oil**, melted

*If you just got your eggs out of the fridge, don't worry. Just put them in warm water for a few minutes.

**melted butter or an unsaturated oil will work as well!

Directions:

1. Bring about 4 cups of water to boil in the pot to be used for steaming. If using cupcake pan, check to make sure pan can fit in pot/steaming rack before lining with wrappers. I would suggest using cupcake molds.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. 
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix well, batter will be fairly thick. 
4. Fill cupcake molds 3/4 full and place in steaming rack. 
5. Steam for 10-12 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. 
6. Remove rack from heat and let cool for a few minutes. 
7. Separate cupcakes from molds and garnish as desired.
8. Serve and enjoy!