Coffee and Chocolate Cupcakes

Perfect for a tea party is all I can say. These are a modern and fashionable table piece, which would be perfect for a party as well as an afternoon treat. I tend to make these on a Saturday afternoon if my family are about, to have a cuppa and catch up with. They have a smooth and creamy texture to them, and the coffee flavour which is broken down by the chocolate is a match made in heaven. Truly Delectable.

Coffee and Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 18

125g self raising flour

125g caster sugar

2 eggs

170g softened butter

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

200g Nutella
2 tbsp. Cocoa Powder

400g icing sugar

2 tbsp. Instant Coffee dissolved with 50ml Boiling Water
100g Butter

• Preheat the oven to 195oc and prepare your muffin trays with cupcake cases, I use a 12 and a 6 as this recipe makes 18.
• In a large mixing bowl cream 125g of the butter and the sugar together. 
• Set to one side and in another bowl whisk the 2 eggs.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into the mixing bowl gradually, this will produce a very stiff batter. Add the baking soda and then start to add the whisked eggs gradually and a soft and fluffy batter will start to form. 
• Add the vanilla essence and 20ml of coffee, stir again add set to one side. 
• Spoon 1 tbsp. of cake mixture into each cupcake case and once the mixture has been delved out pop into the oven for 15 minutes until golden.
• In a food processor, blitz the icing sugar, 50g butter and 30ml coffee. This will create a very stiff mixture. Using the milk, very gradually add a few drops at a time, checking the icing is not becoming too wet but is also not too stiff. Once the icing is ready remove from the processor into a bowl and keep in the fridge until ready to pipe.
• Once the cupcakes are cool, using a knife spread a small amount of nutella onto the cupcake and level out the cupcake. Once you have done this repeat with the rest of the batch.
• Using a rose head and a piping bag, pipe the icing onto the cupcakes and to decorate I grate some chocolate on top but it is completely up to you.

Enjoy!!