Death by chocolate cupcakes by Rev. Carol A. Ingle AKA Raven

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Death by chocolate cupcakes

Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 2 mins
Serves: 24

For the wicked topping, just crumble any of your favourite choc bars or lollies. Indulge if you dare.

Ingredients

200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
½ cup sour cream
100g dark chocolate, melted
1½ cups self-raising flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ cup dark chocolate baking chips
1 quantity Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache Icing (in notes)
Assorted chocolate bars, chopped, to decorate

Method

1| Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two 12-hole ¹/³-cup capacity muffin tins with paper cases.

2| Put butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and, using the paddle attachment, beat on high until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well. Combine sour cream and melted chocolate in a bowl. Combine flour and cocoa in a separate bowl. Fold sour cream mixture and cocoa mixture, in 2 batches, into butter mixture until combined. Fold in baking chips.

3| Spoon mixture into prepared tins. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Swap position of tins in oven halfway through cooking.

4| Cool in tins for 5 minutes, then turn out to cool completely.

5| Prepare Dark Chocolate Ganache Icing. Put in a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle and pipe onto cakes. Decorate with chocolate bars and serve.

Notes

Cook's tips:

Use very ripe bananas for a sweeter, more intense flavour.