Recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes with a Salted Butter Fudge Frosting

My friend, Jen, reminded me today that I never used to bake. I've only really been a wannabe domestic goddess for a few months. Now I made cookies, cakes and soda bread on a regular basis. I have two willing assistants too. Presley and Cash love to measure all of the ingredients (and taste each one while my back is turned). They love mixing and rolling and cutting and shaping and - of course - licking the spoon.

I'd rather my children ate something home made instead of shop bought (if they're having a sweet treat). We're getting there.

Today I made these amazing chocolate cakes. I adapted the recipe from 200 Cupcakes by Joanna Farrow. The cake underneath is dark and quite simply chocolatey, and the frosting is rich and sweet with a hint of salt (from the butter). They are grown-up cupcakes that your children will enjoy too.

Chocolate Cupcakes with a Salted Butter Fudge Frosting

Cupcakes
125g butter
150g soft brown sugar
2 eggs
100g self-raising flour
50g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder

• Preheat over to 180c/Gas mark 4. 
• Put 12 cases in a cake tin.
• Use the all-in-one method and mix all the ingredients until the mixture turns pale and fluffy. I used my hand-held electric mixer.
• Spoon into the cases and bake for 20 minutes.

Frosting
100g milk chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp milk
50g butter
75g icing sugar

• Gently heat the chocolate, milk and butter in a pan, stirring until the chocolate and butter has melted.
• Remove from the heat and vigorously stir in the icing sugar.
• Spread over the cakes while they and the frosting are both still warm.

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