Black Forest Cupcakes
Course: sweet treat Makes: 12 Prep: 10 mins Cook: 12-15 mins
15 g (½ oz) softened unsalted butter
115 g (4 oz) caster sugar (golden if preferred) 2 medium free-range eggs 90 g (3¼ oz) self-raising flour
25 g (1 oz) cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder
40 ml (1½ fl oz) milk
100 g (3½ oz) defrosted frozen or jarred pitted morello cherries (sour cherries are best)
2 tsp caster sugar
100 g (3½ oz) mascarpone, beaten
To Decorate: 12 fresh cherries.
1 Pre-heat oven to 180 deg. C., 350 deg. F., Gas Mark 4. Prepare a cupcake or muffin tin with 12 paper cases.
2 In a bowl, whisk the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
3 Gently fold in the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder along with the milk, taking care not to overmix. Divide the batter equally between the cases in the prepared cupcake or muffin tin.
4 Transfer the cakes to the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
5 Leave the cupcakes in the tin for 5 minutes, then gently lift them out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
6 To make the icing, halve the cherries and toss with the caster sugar. Stir the cherries through the beaten mascarpone very gently – you want to retain a pink and white swirl of colour rather than making a pink icing
(though this is not the end of the world).
7 Place a heaped teaspoon of the mascarpone and cherry mix on each cake, top with a fresh cherry and serve immediately.
8 As you’ll have to eat the iced cakes the day you assemble them, you can make the cakes in advance and keep them uniced in an airtight container in a cool room for 2 to 3 days. Keep the mascarpone and cherry mix in the fridge (it will become pinker) and ice as you go.