Chocolate and Toffee Cupcakes (for adults or very good children)

Obviously not for babies!


Cupcakes or fairy cakes as us Brits used to call them are so easy to make.  Basically I reckon I could make and ice a batch in the time it takes to walk to my local shop, pick some up, buy them and return.  Yet they're sold in huge quantities at a very large mark up.  Part of that is the decoration of course but here is a basic recipe to make some of your own including my own invention for the icing.  When it comes to baking I use ounces.  It just makes sense to me.  I can't explain why.  Ok, maybe I can; 4, 4, 4, 2 is easy to remember isn't it?

Ingredients (makes about a dozen)

4oz Butter or Margarine (I prefer to use a buttery margarine which goes against my normal principles but butter makes the cakes a little too greasy for my liking)
4oz Caster or Granulated sugar (granulated is non traditional but my mum always used it in cakes so I do)
4oz SR flour
2 eggs
2 dsp cocoa powder
The smallest amount of hot water needed to mix the cocoa powder

Icing

2 tsp molasses sugar
About 3/4 oz butter
A little hot water
Icing sugar to mix

Sprinkles etc to serve.

Method

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C.

This is easiest and quickest in a food processor.  Cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the eggs, if the butter and eggs are cold this will curdle a bit but don't worry.  Add the flour followed by the cocoa mixed with the water.  Spoon into cake cases (about a rounded dsp in each) and bake for around 15 mins, maybe a minute or two longer until the cakes are done.  (Check by touching the top, if it springs back, it's done.)

Allow to cool on a rack.

Microwave the butter, molasses sugar and water until all melted together.  Mix in icing sugar to get the consistency you prefer (you could spoon on the top, pipe etc).  Remember the icing will harden a bit as it cools.

Add sprinkles if desired and devour!

This does open up the possibility of the toffee cupcake.  Hmm.  Going to have to work on that one...