fudge cupcakes

Chocolate

We don’t need much of an excuse to scoff cupcakes, but it’s even easier as Bake Off ’s Michael Chakraverty has shared his foolproof recipe for the fudgiest, chocolatiest tea time treats. He’s raising awareness for the Alzheimer’s Society Cupcake Day, which looks a bit different this year, but they’re still encouraging us to bake at home and donate. For more details, go to Alzheimers.org.uk.

How to make them…

For the cupcakes:

● 125g dark chocolate (minimum 56 per cent cocoa solids)

● 125g unsalted butter

● 1.5tsp instant coffee

● 90ml boiling water

● 120g plain flour

● 30g cocoa powder

● 1.5tsp baking powder

● 100g golden caster sugar

● 150g light brown sugar

● 2 large eggs

● 95ml sour cream

● 1tsp vanilla bean paste

For the icing:

● 360g dark chocolate

● 450g unsalted butter

● 450g icing sugar

Method:

Set the oven to 160c/150c fan/gas mark 3. Set out 12 cupcake cases in cupcake trays. Melt together the chocolate and the butter in a medium pan. Separately, mix the instant coffee with the boiling water and then stir into the chocolate mixture until smooth. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and sugar. Give it a quick mix to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk

together the eggs, sour

cream and vanilla extract.

Mix together the wet

ingredients, then fold into the dry ingredients. Fill each case 2/3 of the way up and bake for around 25 minutes or until firm to the touch and a skewer poked in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Melt the chocolate in a small pan and set aside to cool slightly. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the icing sugar until pale and creamy (at least 4-5 min). Fold the chocolate into the mixture, and use to ice the cooled cupcakes.