Chocolate Cherry Brandy Cupcakes

Let me tell you a little bit about how I choose my friends, well firstly, I choose with care. Secondly, I find that I get on best with chocoholics, I’m not sure why, but I just do. 

A good friend of mine and I decided that it would be sensible to have a monthly meet up and bring a bake. I know the best plans include cake, you know the best plans include cake, it’s joy all around right?

I did consider the possibiity of making something with nutella, however I’d eaten the whole jar, so coupling cherries and chocolate had to do! 

For 12 cupcakes you will need:

125g Soft Butter

100g dark chocolate (higher the cocoa content richer the flavor, I used 80%)

200g cherries (I used a jar of cherries to save stoning etc – You can also use fancy cherry jam and you’ll need 300g)

2x large eggs

150g Self Raising flour

For the icing:

75g dark chocolate

1x heaped teaspoon of coca powder

225g icing sugar

2 table spoons of cherry brandy

20ml water (increase accordingly to how runny you want your icing – I like mine nice and thick!)

For the topping:

Personally, I used grated chocolate but get creative!

To make your cupcakes:

Firstly pre:heat your oven to 180degrees

Break up your chocolate and melt slowly in a ban maire and when the chocolate is nearly melted add your butter and mix together until you have a lovely runny mix.

Now take this off the heat place in a large bowl and add your cherries, eggs and sugar.

Once everything is mixed together slowly add your flour to the mix.

Hooray your cupcake batter is now complete – fill your cupcake papers and place in the oven for 25mins.

The Icing:

Once your cupcakes are cooled and ready to ice I used the following recipe BUT this would be just as lavish with a traditional butter cream icing and as icing is a personal thing it’s really upto you what you use..Some people would be more than happy with just a dusting of icing sugar.

This is what I created..

Melt your chocolate in a ban maire once melted remove from the heat and then add your cherry brandy, coco powder and icing sugar.

Whilst mixing slowly add your water accordingly to how thick you want you’re icing to be.

Now I wanted a really smooth rich icing so I used a electric hand mix to ensure everything was beaten together and to create a icing which was easy to spread.

***

Volia!

Now sit and consider if you REALLY want to share these beauties…

Really?…

Katie

x

P.s –  I know the picture features strawberries, BUT I’d run out of cherries, please be kind!