Mini bakes, maximum indulgence!

BLACK FOREST CUPCAKES ICE CREAM CONE COFFEE CUPCAKES GLUTEN-FREE RASPBERRY & COCONUT CUPCAKE MUFFINS BUTTERFLY CAKES WITH STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM LEMON & BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Black Forest cupcakes

By Opies (www.opiesfoods.com)

MAKES 12

50g best quality dark chocolate,

roughly chopped

175g butter, softened

175g soft brown light sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

3 free-range eggs

175g self-raising flour

½tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

50g cocoa powder

75ml milk

Syrup from a jar of Opies Black

Cherries with Kirsch

For the filling

80g black cherry conserve

To decorate

200ml double cream

1tbsp icing sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

Dark chocolate curls, to sprinkle

12 cherries from Opies Black

Cherries with Kirsch

Dark Chocolate Curls

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Line a 12-hole deep cupcake tin with cupcake cases.

2 Over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, then set aside.

3 In a separate large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, then the eggs one at a time, beating well. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder and mix in carefully until just combined, before finally folding in the melted chocolate and milk.