Ingredients
For the cakes:
85g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
85g salted butter, softened
100g Billington's Light Muscovado Sugar
2 medium free range eggs
75g soured cream
1 tsp Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract
100g Allinson's Self Raising Flour
15g cocoa powder
For the frosting:
75g double cream
150g dark chocolate
250g unsalted butter, softened
500g Silver Spoon Icing Sugar
2 tsp Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract or Bean Paste
Decorations:
Smarties, pretzels, edible sugar eyes, black writing icing
Method
- Preheat oven to 170C fan.
- For the sponge, melt the chocolate, butter and Billington's Light Muscovado Sugar together in a medium sized microwave safe bowl in a microwave (on a medium heat) for 1 minute at a time. Stirring at each interval until all melted together. Cool slightly.
- Whisk the eggs, sour cream and Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract together in a small bowl.
- In another small bowl, mix together the Allinson's Self Raising Flour and cocoa powder with a spoon.
- Add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture and stir well.
- Fold in the flour mixture until just incorporated.
- Spoon the batter into the cake cases so they are about two-thirds full. Bake for 14-18 mins until just firm. The knife should come out a little fudgy but not wet when it’s cooked, nor dry, as you’d expect from a vanilla sponge. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins then place on a cooling rack.
- To make the frosting, boil the cream and pour over the chocolate and leave to stand for 5 mins with a plate on top to keep in the heat. Stir together to make a ganache and set aside to cool, but not set hard while making the frosting.
- Beat the butter and Silver Spoon Icing Sugar until really pale, soft and creamy, add the Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract or Bean Paste and beat again, lastly adding the cooled ganache and beating on slow until all combined and you have a smooth chocolate frosting.
- To decorate, pipe tall swirls of frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and add on your reindeer elements.
