Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes to sweeten someone's day!

SUMMER. Sunshine, Barbecues, holidays and....humid commuting. It's fair to say the summer season can be the most stifling for commuters. After a long day's work, a little treat can make a big difference. I've had so many requests for the cupcake recipe that I had to pop it up here on the blog. It's taken from the incredible Twist by Martha Collison and I've reproduced a scaled version of it below with her kind permission! If you haven't checked out Martha's book (or her new one - Crave, which is equally lovely), it's well worth checking out for reliable creative bakes. Treat your friends, family & colleagues and surprise them with one of these - you'll sweeten their day no end.

Ingredients - makes 24 cupcakes

For the cupcakes

• 350g caster sugar

• 120ml sunflower oil

• 2 large eggs

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 200g plain flour

• 70g cocoa powder

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 300ml water

For the whipped ganache

• 200g unsalted butter

• 300g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

• 2 tbsp golden syrup

• 275ml double cream

• 50g roasted chopped hazelnuts / mini cookies or other!

Kit

• 2 x 12-hole muffin tins (or make in batches), piping bag with large open star nozzle (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C / fan 160 C and line the muffin tins with paper cases.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth (an electric whisk makes this much quicker).

3. Into a separate bowl, sieve the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt and whisk together until uniform in colour.

4. Add a third of the flour mix to the egg mixture along with half the water and beat well to incorporate. Add the remaining flour and water in portions, beating well after each addition. The batter will be liquidy!

5. Divide the mixture equally between the cupcake cases (fill them 2/3 full) and bake on the middle shelves of the oven for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool completely before decorating.

6. For the ganache, melt the butter, chocolate and golden syrup together in a heatproof bowl over a bowl of simmering water. Keep stirring until it's smooth and the chocolate has completely melted. Remove from the heat and pour in the double cream. Mix well until a uniform colour then chill in the fridge for around 40 minutes, stirring midway through.

7. Once thickened to the stage where it can form stiff peaks, whisk using an electric whisk for a few minutes until it turns pale brown. Use a spatula to scrape down the edges halfway through. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe on swirls of the ganache. Top with a sprinkling of hazelnuts or topper of your choice.