Spiced chocolate cupcakes with plum marmalade

Delicious winter cupcakes for all chocoholics! My favourite chocolate cupcakes with warm spices, filled with plum marmalade and topped with the best chocolate cream.  Perfect treat for cold, winter evenings!


Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

• 100g plain flour
• 20g cocoa powder
• 120g caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 40g soft, unsalted butter
• pinch of salt
• 120ml milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp mixed spice
• 1/4 tsp  ground cloves
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

Additionally:

• 1/2 jar plum marmalade

For the cream:

• 200ml double cream
• 100g dark chocolate

For decorating:

• sugar snowflakes

To make the cupcakes mix all dry ingredients with the butter until the mixture is of sandy consistency.
In a bowl mix an egg, milk and vanilla extract and add the mixture to dry ingredients.  Mix quickly to combine, do not over-mix, the batter can be a little lumpy.

Line a muffin tray and fill each case to about a third, then top with a teaspoonful of plum marmalade, cover with more muffin batter to fill each case to about 3/4.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 170C for 20-25 minutes. Take out the oven and leave to cool completely.

To make the cream melt the chocolate and set aside.  Whisk double cream to medium peaks, then add melted chocolate and continue whisking until smooth.  Leave in the fridge until needed.

When the cupcakes are cooled completely pipe the cream on top and decorate with sugar snowflakes.

Enjoy!