Chocolate Cupcakes
Easy to make and delightful to eat. These Chocolate Cupcakes have a rich chocolate ganache icing on the top, giving depth to the rich, fudgy, cakes beneath.
Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
Recipe Ingredients:
- 150g butter (softened)
- 150g self-raising flour
- 70g small milk chocolate drops or chips
- 35g cocoa powder
- 4 tbsp milk
- 170g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
For the ganache icing:
- 100ml double cream
- 100g plain or milk chocolate (chopped into small bits)
- 10g butter
To decorate:
- white chocolate curls or shavings
- or various cake sprinkles of your choice
- 12 decorative or plain cupcake/muffin cases
Recipe Method:
Put 12 decorative or plain paper cupcake/muffin cases into a 12-hole muffin tin – this is so that the cakes keep a good even shape as they bake.
Measure the cocoa into a large mixing bow. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until hot, and then pour it over the cocoa. Stir until you have a smooth paste. Add the butter, eggs, vegetable oil, flour and sugar and beat until blended and smooth. Finally mix in the small chocolate drops (or chips). Spoon this cake batter evenly between the paper cases. To neatly add the cake batter to the cases and gently smooth it down, the best way is to use two spoons.
Preheat the oven to 180°C
Put the muffin tin into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 180C (or until risen and brown).
Once baked take them out of the oven and lift the paper cases out of the tin and cool the cakes on a wire rack until completely cold before icing.
To make the chocolate ganache icing: heat the cream in a saucepan and, when scalding, add the chopped chocolate into the hot cream. Stir until the chocolate melts, then add the butter, and mix until the mixture becomes smooth and shiny. Set this ganache aside to cool and thicken until it is the perfect spreading or piping consistency (45 minutes).
Spread (or ideally pipe) the icing over the cupcakes and decorate with plain or white chocolate curls or shavings or cake sprinkles. Serve.