BAKING
Surrey’s Premier Lifestyle Magazine
Chocolate and cherry cupcakes
Treat mum this Mothering Sunday with some delicious chocolate and cherry cupcakes, all dressed up in elegant stripes: handmade purses optional! These fluffy chocolate cupcakes, one of Jen’s Cupcakery’s bestsellers, are dotted with cherries and topped with a rich chocolate buttercream. Sheer indulgence, but on such a special day, why not? For those who do not have time to handmake purses, top with little flowers or sprinkles, both of which can be bought at the supermarket, or even a chocolate dipped cherry!
Top tip:
For more of a tipsy treat, soak the cherries for an hour in some kirsch, or buy a jar of soaked cherries from a supermarket.
Ingredients
80g unsalted butter
270g caster sugar
Two eggs
190g plain flour
50g cocoa
Three teaspoons baking powder
240ml milk
Two teaspoons vanilla extract
100g cherries, fresh or frozen
For the icing
337.5g unsalted butter
125g cocoa
700g icing sugar
112ml milk
Two teaspoons vanilla extract
Half teaspoon espresso powder
Method
• Heat oven to 200˚C/180˚C fan/gas 6. Line a 12 hole tin with cupcake cases or baking cups. The ones used here can be found online and can be baked on a tray as they’re stand alone.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy in texture.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between.
• Sieve the flour, baking powder and cocoa together, and then add a quarter followed by a quarter of the milk and so on until the ingredients are mixed. Then add the vanilla extract.
• Chop the cherries into quarters and fold in by hand.
• Spoon the mixture into cases and bake in a pre heated oven for around 18-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
• Make the icing by mixing the butter and cocoa together, then adding the milk and icing sugar a little at a time before adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract and coffee to bring out the chocolate flavour.
• When the cakes are cool, pipe or spoon icing on the cupcakes and finish with a decoration of choice.
80g unsalted butter
270g caster sugar
Two eggs
190g plain flour
50g cocoa
Three teaspoons baking powder
240ml milk
Two teaspoons vanilla extract
100g cherries, fresh or frozen
For the icing
337.5g unsalted butter
125g cocoa
700g icing sugar
112ml milk
Two teaspoons vanilla extract
Half teaspoon espresso powder
Method
• Heat oven to 200˚C/180˚C fan/gas 6. Line a 12 hole tin with cupcake cases or baking cups. The ones used here can be found online and can be baked on a tray as they’re stand alone.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy in texture.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between.
• Sieve the flour, baking powder and cocoa together, and then add a quarter followed by a quarter of the milk and so on until the ingredients are mixed. Then add the vanilla extract.
• Chop the cherries into quarters and fold in by hand.
• Spoon the mixture into cases and bake in a pre heated oven for around 18-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
• Make the icing by mixing the butter and cocoa together, then adding the milk and icing sugar a little at a time before adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract and coffee to bring out the chocolate flavour.
• When the cakes are cool, pipe or spoon icing on the cupcakes and finish with a decoration of choice.
essence info
Jens CupcakeryWebsite: www.jenscupcakery.com
Telephone: 07751 553106
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jenscupcakery
Twitter: @Jenscupcakery
Blog: ilovejenscupcakery.wordpress.com