Autumn Baking - Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

Happy September lovelies!

As I'm writing this, September has just come upon us. I'm snuggled up in a new knit from French Connection, I'm also wearing my new Chelsea boots, there's a crisp air blowing away, the sun is glistening at the window and I have a nice cup of tea to keep me warm.

I much prefer Autumn/Winter, cosy blankets, hot chocolates, copious amounts of tea, movie nights, fairy lights and there is always so many exciting things happening, we have Halloween, Bonfire night, Christmas and my birthday is also next month!

This weeks post is a more Autumn themed, as September is now here! What more could you want than a yummy hot chocolate, with a hot chocolate cupcake? If you have a sweet tooth like myself you'll absolutely love this idea!

Sponge Ingredients -

4 Free range eggs

225g/8oz Caster sugar

225g/8oz Self raising flour

2 Teaspoons of baking powder

225g/8oz Butter at room temperature

3 Teaspoons Cocoa Powder

Frosting Ingredients -

600g Icing Sugar

300g Unsalted softened butter

2 Teaspoons of vanilla extract

Marshmallows and flake for toppings

1 - Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan/gas mark 4 and line your muffin tin in pretty cupcake cases.

2- Break eggs into a large mixing bowl, then add sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and butter. Mix together until it's well combined, you can do this with an electric whisk or by hand with a wooden spoon, but be careful not to over mix.

3- In a teacup place 3 teaspoons of cocoa powder and a small amount of boiling hot water to create a runny chocolate paste, then place that into the batter mixture and stir in gently. This will create your hot chocolate base.

4- Place your mixture into each cupcake case and place into the pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes. Once they are cooked, place them onto a cooling rack before icing them.

5- Sift your icing sugar into a large bowl, place your butter into the bowl and add your vanilla extract too. Gradually beat together until you have them as fluffy as the clouds and sweet as candy floss. I've found when I'm using a piping bag the icing will pipe a lot better when it's had some time in the fridge to harden, I usually leave it for an hour.

6- Once the icing is more pliable, place some into your pre prepared piping bag and swirl the cream on top of your hot chocolate cake. I'm still learning and practising with my piping bag skills, but I felt happy with the improvement I've made with these.

7- This is one of the funnest parts, toppings! I decided to get some pretty pink and white mini marshmallows and a flake to crumble on top, to perfect that pretty hot chocolate.

Here are a couple more photos of these creations...