Mocha cupcakes

I made these today for my dad's birthday celebration, but I think they would be more fitting for Valentine's day!

They taste absolutely delicious; moist sponge, creamy frosting and strong chocolatey coffee flavour, what more could you want from a cupcake!?

I am aware some of my decorations look a bit naff - I was going for the chocolate lattice effect but I didn't have a piping bag, so had to make do with a teaspoon and a cocktail stick haha...

They would look amazing with the frosting piped through a nozel and a cocoa or coffee bean placed on top - simple and sophisticated! Or for Valentine's day a chocolate heart placed on top, as suggested in the recipe.


I got the recipe from my Hummingbird Bakery book 'Cake Days', which I would highly recommend.

I can't wait to make the apple crumble cupcakes and their famous whoopie pies so watch this space!

- 240ml milk (I used semi-skimmed)
-15g hot chocolate powder
- 5g instant espresso powder (or coffee granules)
- 80g butter
- 280g caster sugar
- 240g plain flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs

Heat oven to gas 5 (190c) and line a muffin tin with 12 muffin cases.
Warm the milk and mix in the hot chocolate powder and coffee powder until dissolved.

Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients, apart from the eggs, together by hand or using an electric whisk.

Whisk the eggs into the mocha flavoured milk and combine with the other mixture, until smooth.

Spoon the mixture into the cases and bake for 18-20 minutes or until well risen and springy to the touch.

<--- they should look something like this (cupcake cases from Ikea)

 - 50ml milk
- 30g hot-chocolate powder
- 500g icing sugar (Only used about 400g)
- 160g butter (It only needed about 120g)
- anything you want to decorate (I used milk and white chocolate)

Mix the warm milk and powder together until dissolved. Cream together the icing sugar and butter, then stir in the chocolate milk until smooth. Simply spread on top of the cakes or pipe.

 <--- This was just about the only successful chocolate lattice I managed to make!

This is what the cupcakes looked like - they look even better when bitten in to!

Hope you enjoy :)
(all of these pictures were taken by me apart from the cookbook)