Chocolate Candy Cane Cup Cakes

Hello,

I'm back with a recipe for Chocolate Candy Cane Cup Cakes that I made for the Christmas Fayre at my daughter's school a few weeks back.  My husband helped me put these together - this was his venture into baking but he thoroughly enjoyed it!  The recipe started life as a Mint chocolate cupcakes recipe at goodtoknow.co.uk and I've tweaked it slightly.  I found the mini candy canes in my local branch of Home Bargains but if you can't find them you could use something else suitably festive, a sprinkling of crushed Mint Aero chocolate or chopped Mint Matchmakers would work well too!

Chocolate Candy Cane Cup Cakes

Makes 12

Ingredients

For the cakes:

• 150g butter, softened
• 150g light muscovado sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 115g self-raising flour, sifted
• 35g cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/2tsp baking powder

For the icing:

• 50g butter, softened
• 200g icing sugar
• Few drops peppermint extract
• Mini candy canes, to decorate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Line a cupcake tin with large paper cupcake cases.
2. Place the butter and muscovado sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy.
3. Gradually add the beaten egg, a little at a time, until smooth. Using a large metal spoon fold in the flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Divide the mixture between the cake cases.
4. Bake for 20-25 mins until risen and just firm to the touch. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
5. To make the icing; Beat the butter with 1-2 tsp boiling water and the icing sugar to make a smooth soft consistency. Add peppermint extract to taste. Pipe or swirl onto the cupcakes and decorate with the mini candy canes.

These cup cakes look pretty impressive but they really aren't much work.  I think I'm starting to get a bit of a cup cake obsession and hubby bought me a fab Tala piping set as part of my Christmas present so he obviously enjoyed making them too!

Hugs,

Shona xx