Chocolate cupcakes

Here's my creamy chocolate icing cupcakes recipe :) Have fun with any topping or sprinkle. 

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcake:

• 3 tbsp cocoa
• 1 tsp strong coffee granules
• 3 - 4 tbsp hot water
• 175 g butter softened
• 175 g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 225 g self raising flour
• a large pinch of cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder

For the icing:

• 4 tbsp cocoa
• 3 tbsp hot water
• 200 g butter softened
• 500 g icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 180 C and line a 12 muffin tin with paper cases. Stir the cocoa and coffee granules into the hot water until dissolved and set aside to cool. Beat together the remaining cupcake ingredients until fully combined. Add the cocoa mix and stir well. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake for 20-25 mins until well risen and firm. Leave it to cool for 5 mins in the pan before placing the cupcakes onto a wire rack.

Topping: Mix the cocoa in the hot water to make a paste and set aside to cool. Beat the butter until softened then gradually beat in the icing sugar. Next beat in the cooled cocoa paste. Spoon into a piping bag and generously pipe swirls onto the cupcakes. Decorate with sugar pears, chocolate sprinkles, nuts, 100's and 1000's, cherries or any other preferred topping and enjoy!