Sweet like chocolate.

These are the most recent chocolate cupcakes I've made; they're for Matthew.  Everybody's cakes are decorated in their own unique way, there is no set design for them, so this is what mine turned out like.

An assortment of sprinkles, sweets and writing pens were used.  Sainsburys have got some great chocolate writing pens out at the moment, they're about £3.

This one I made is like a mini chocolate cake, sponge, butter cream filling and then some more sponge.  Here is the recipe I used to make these cakes.

Ingredients:

• Semi sweet chocolate chips (190 g) 

• Butter or margarine (170 g) 

• Caster sugar (192 g) 

• 3 eggs

• Vanilla extract/ flavoring (10 ml) 

• Self-Raising flour (320 g) 

• Baking soda (12 g) 

• ½ teaspoon salt 

• Milk (355 ml)

Method:

  

1. Preheat the oven to 175 ° C.

2. Melt the chocolate chips and butter together at low heat over a stove.  Stir until the chocolate melts completely and then pour mixture into a bowl.

3. Add the sugar and beat until they are well mixed, then add the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla. 

4. Mix the self-raising flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl, then sift into the chocolate mixture.

5. Add the milk to the mixture and then pour into a measuring jug. 

6. Pour into cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the cake.

7.  Cool for 10 minutes on a rack and then decorate.

NB -- a really nice little decoration for these cakes, if they are for Valentines day, is a little red heart on top of some chocolate butter cream.  I estimate my butter cream every time, I never use a recipe, but to make the little red hearts to go on top all you need is some white marzipan and red colouring.  Knead the colouring in to the marzipan and then roll it out.  Once rolled out cut out (with a cutter or a knife) a heart shape and then place the heart on a plate, uncovered, overnight for it to dry out.  Apply to cakes as necessary.

Happy baking.