Chocolate mud cupcakes

As far as baking bloggers go I am something of a freak & a weirdo. It’s to do with chocolate, I think it’s a bit overrated as a flavor. It’s not that I don’t enjoy it, I do so frequently & passionately…I just don’t believe it to be the grand-daddy of all flavorings. Personally I am deeply & forever enamoured with vanilla. Mr Bake & Bloom however is a bonafide chocoholic. He sincerely believes that vanilla is not an actual flavour & is merely the absence of chocolate!

One thing I can agree on though is mud cake, with the addition of coffee & a little help from my friend vanilla. I struggled for ages with mud cake recipes but I think this is a goodie & surprisingly simple to make.  I really suggest you invest in a mixing bowl with a pouring lip to make this one, as the batter is really runny & goes everywhere if you try to portion it out using a spoon.

Chocolate mud cupcakes

• 200g good quality butter
• 250g good quality dark chocolate
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 tsp instant coffee
• 1/4 cup raw cocoa powder
• Seeds of half a vanilla pod scraped out with a spoon
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 3 free range eggs
• 3/4 self raising flour
• Chocolate coated coffee beans to decorate if desired

 Preheat oven to 160c & place cupcake liners in tray. Place chopped butter, chocolate, water & coffee in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave uncovered on high for 2 minutes & stir until smooth. Add sifted cocoa & flour to warm chocolate mixture & stir until combined, stir in vanilla, sugar & lightly beaten eggs. Pour cupcake batter into liners & bake for approx 20 minutes or until wet crumbs cling to a bamboo skewer inserted into the middle.  Allow to cool & top with chocolate ganache & a single chocolate coated coffee bean.

Chocolate ganache

• 250g dark cooking chocolate, chopped
• 1/3 cup cream

Combine chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. (Make sure none of the steam ends up in the chocolate or the ganache will curdle)  Remove bowl from heat. Set aside at room temperature to cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache is thick and spreadable. **tip, if like me you’re pathetically hopeless at making ganache & it does curdle. DON’T CHUCK IT AWAY! You can save it! I add about 1-2 cups of icing sugar & stir until smooth. You now have a beautiful chocolate icing instead.

Makes approx 12 regular cupcakes.