Liam Charles’s double chocolate cupcakes

To switch things up, put a Ferrero Rocher in the centre of each cupcake, instead of chocolate sauce, and add 10 tablespoons of Nutella to the buttercream.

MAKES 24 INGREDIENTS

350g plain flour

370g caster sugar

55g cocoa powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda ½ tsp fine sea salt 150g dark chocolate chips 250ml buttermilk 250ml cold coffee 430ml vegetable oil 3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into chunks 50g unsalted butter 300ml double cream

2 tbsp caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the buttercream

550g unsalted butter, softened 250g cocoa powder

850g icing sugar

10 tbsp milk

½ tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4 and line two 12-hole muffin tins with cupcake cases.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl. Add the dark chocolate chips. Combine the buttermilk, coffee and veggie oil in a separate bowl and mix together. Lightly beat the eggs in another bowl and add the vanilla extract. Tip the egg mixture into the coffee mixture and mix.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three batches, mixing thoroughly after each addition. You don’t want any pockets of flour.

Divide your mixture evenly between the 24 cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until there’s a spring back when you touch the sponges. Place the muffin tins on a wire rack to cool.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, or in the microwave. Stir occasionally until it has completely melted. Add all the other sauce ingredients and continue to stir until it’s nice and smooth. Leave to cool.

For the buttercream, measure the butter into a large bowl and beat until light and pale. Sift the cocoa powder and icing sugar into a separate bowl, then add it to the butter in three stages, beating after each addition. Add the milk and vanilla extract to loosen the buttercream and give it one more mix.

Using an apple or cupcake corer, take the middle out of the cupcakes and fill with the chocolate sauce – all the way to the top. Save some sauce for squiggling.

Decorate the cupcakes how you like – pipe or swish with buttercream.

Recipe from Cheeky Treats by Liam Charles (Hodder & Stoughton, £22)