Chocolate, Almond & Raspberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Icing and Vanilla Whipped Cream

Everyone loves a good cupcake. Moist yet crumbly, rich and flavoursome if done right, cupcakes are a delicious treat every time. And with so many flavours available to choose from, they're incredibly versatile.
This recipe is one I made up. The rich, slightly bitter chocolate goes well with the sweetness of the sponge and the contrast of the sharp raspberries give it an extra dimension of flavour. Topped with chocolate ganache icing and rich vanilla cream, its definitely an extra special treat for any chocolate lover or cupcake fanatic.



Taste as good as they look; Chocolate, Almond & Raspberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Icing and Vanilla Whipped Cream

CUPCAKES:
8oz Butter
8oz Sugar
4 Eggs
6oz Flour
2oz Finely Ground Almonds
2oz corn flour
1oz Cocoa Powder
2tsp baking powder
1tsp Vanilla Essence
4oz finely grated dark chocolate.
Fresh or frozen Raspberries

METHOD:

1. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Sift flour, corn flour, ground almonds, cocoa powder, and baking powder together in a bowl.
3. Crack eggs one at a time into the butter-sugar mixture, adding a tablespoonful of flour mixture each time to stop curdling. Add in Vanilla Essence.
4. Stir in rest of flour mixture.
5. Add the chocolate and raspberries and mix well.
6. Spoon mixture into a prepared muffin tray, until each muffin case is 3/4 full.
7. Bake at optimum temperature of your oven until done. (Usually Gas Mark 4 or 5, for 18-22 minutes.)

TOPPINGS:

ICING:
4oz Dark Chocolate
150ml Double Cream
4oz Butter
8oz Icing Sugar
1tsp Vanilla Essence

METHOD:

1. Heat the cream in a saucepan until almost boiling.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate until melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Add in the vanilla.
3. Beat together butter and icing sugar
4. Whisk in the ganache.

WHIPPED CREAM:
Whipping or Double Cream
1tsp Vanilla Essence

FRESH RASPBERRIES to decorate

METHOD:

1. Whip up cream with vanilla until stiff enough to pipe. (but not too stiff, because then it tastes thick and greasy.)

(Author's note: I refrained from sweetening the cream, as tempting as it was, because I thought the cupcakes and the icing were sweet enough, but you can if you wish. just add a tablespoon or two of icing sugar before whipping.)

COMBINE:

1. Once cupcakes are cooled, put icing in a piping bag with nozzle of your preferred choice (I used small star nozzle). Pipe onto the cupcakes.
2. Using the same nozzle (preferably, you don’t have to) pipe cream on top of the icing.
3. Top each cupcake with a raspberry.