Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan and line a cupcake/muffin tray with 12 cases.

2. Cream together the caster sugar and butter in a bowl until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, along with a large spoonful of the flour and beat together.

4. Fold the remaining flour into the mixture with the milk, using a spatula/metal spoon.

5. Fill each case approximately 2/3 full and bake in the oven for 20-22 mins.

6. Leave the cupcakes in the tray for 5 mins, then remove and cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Ganache

1. Break up the chocolate into a microwave safe bowl and add the cream.

2. Heat for 30 – 40 seconds in the microwave, remove and stir until smooth. If there are still some lumps of chocolate, pop the mixture into the microwave for 20 seconds and stir.

3. Put the ganache into the fridge for 20 -30 mins to thicken. You want the consistency to be similar to toothpaste.

4. Once the cupcakes are cool, hollow out the middle of each and fill with the ganache (approx. 2 teaspoons).

Buttercream

1. With a handheld or stand mixer, beat the butter for 2-3 mins until pale and fluffy.

2. Add half the icing sugar and beat again until combined. Repeat for the rest of the icing sugar.

3. Add the vanilla extract and cream and beat the buttercream for 5 mins.

4. Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes, add the chocolate flake and enjoy!

Tips

1. By folding in the flour with a spatula or metal spoon, this ensures the air bubbles in the mixture are retained and it will help make your cupcake mixture light.

2. To hollow out the middle of the cupcakes, use an apple corer or the end of a large piping nozzle. You ideally want to go about two thirds of the way down, be careful not to go all the way to the bottom of the cupcake.