Soft Sponge Cupcakes, Sweetened with Monk Fruit

Method

1. Warm 40ml of cooking oil in the microwave for 1 minute until it reaches about 70 degrees C, add 50g of cake flour and stir until smooth.
2. Let the flour mixture cool completely, then stir in 1 whole egg, followed by 3 yolks one at a time, stirring smooth after each.
3. Add 13g of kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 16ml of unsweetened oat milk and half a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and stir again.
4. Put the 3 whites, one quarter of a teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of lime juice in a large bowl and whip on low speed until the foam looks soapy.
5. Divide 31.5g of kOBE Monk Fruit Blend into 3 parts and whip each one in for about 30 seconds on low speed. With the last part, switch to high speed and whip until the whites are soft, glossy and smooth, holding a peak that bends at the tip.
6. Fold the whites into the batter in three additions, lifting from the bottom up until smooth.
7. Heat the oven to 130 degrees C for 15 minutes. Line a cupcake tin with paper cases, fill each halfway and bake at 125 degrees C for 55 minutes with the fan off.
8. When the time is up, crack the oven door so the heat drops slowly, since taking the cakes straight out shocks them and they sink.

Tips

• Do not add all the yolks at once, as the mixture curdles.
• The yolk mixture should stay runny after stirring, and a thick one means the flour and oil paste was not cool enough.
• The lower the protein in the flour, the softer the crumb.
• A batter with oat milk runs thinner, so chill it for 15 minutes to settle before carrying on.
• The lime juice goes in with the salt at the very start, since adding it late collapses whites that have already whipped up.
• Cool completely, then seal in a bag and keep somewhere cool for 1 day or in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.