Prep time:

20 min

Cook time:

20 min

Serves:

makes 12

Ingredients

For the sponge

100 g self-raising flour, sifted
145 g golden caster sugar
40 g butter, at room temperature
20 g cocoa powder
120 ml whole milk
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp instant coffee, dissolved in 1tsp hot water
100 g 70% cocoa dark chocolate, cut into chunks

For the frosting225 g butter
350 g icing sugar, sifted
50 g cocoa powder
1 tbsp whole milk

To decorate

Assorted chocolate bars, cut into small pieces (such as Mars bars, twix, flake, maltesers, chocolate buttons…

Method

1. For the sponge: preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 12-hole tin with cupcake paper cases. Tip the flour, sugar, butter and cocoa powder into a food processor and blitz on a slow speed for one minute, until you achieve a sandy consistency.

2. Gradually pour in half of the milk and beat until just incorporated. Don’t worry if it looks a little messy at this stage – it will come together! In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining milk together with the egg, vanilla essence and coffee. Pour into the batter and beat for a couple of minutes until smooth, scraping down the side of the bowl to catch any unmixed ingredients as you go. Fold through the chocolate chunks with a spoon.

3. Divide the mixture between the 12 paper cases, filling each one up two-thirds full. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the sponge bounces back when prodded with a finger. Leave to cool on a wire rack while you make the frosting.

4. For the frosting: Tip the butter, icing sugar and cocoa powder into a food processor and beat until well combined. Add the milk and then beat again for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy.

5. When the sponges have cooled completely, carefully spoon a third of the frosting into a piping bag and use it to decorate the first four cupcakes. Repeat until you have finished them all. Alternatively, just use a palette knife to spread about 2 tbsp of frosting onto each cupcake.

6. Decorate as you like with different chocolate bar pieces.

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