Classic Chocolate Buttercream Cupcakes

Ingredients

  • 225g unsalted butter, softened
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 225g self-raising flour
  • 1 t baking powder
  • 4 T dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 t vanilla essence
  • Icing
    • 100g chopped plain chocolate
    • 2 T double cream
    • 50g unsalted butter, softened
    • 100g icing sugar, sieved

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 175oC (or 155oC if fan-forced).
  • Place 18 paper baking cases in cupcake tins.
  • Combine all cupcake ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until smooth.
  • Spoon batter into the cup cake cases.
  • Bake for 20 minutes.
  • Remove tins from oven and cool for 5 minutes before placing on a cooling rack.
  • For the icing,
    • Put the chocolate, cream and butter in a pan over low heat.
    • Stir gently until combined.
    • Remove from the heat and stir in the icing sugar until the mixture is smooth.
    • Swirl onto the cupcakes.
Storage
  • Store without icing in an airtight container for up to 2 days.