Mocha Cupcakes

I've never really been a fan of chocolate cake but surprised myself with this one. I was asked to bake a cake for a friends birthday and she loves both chocolate and coffee so I had to try combining these classic flavours with a me-style twist to make the perfect cake. These cakes are light and fluffy on the inside and topped with a soft disc of chocolate coffee heaven. You could skip the coffee if your not keen but I love the depth of flavour it adds to these cakes.

Ingredients:
400g self-raising flour
250g brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp coffee extract
4 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp golden syrup
400ml soy milk
115ml sunflower oil
1 tsp cinnamon

3 bars dark chocolate
6 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp coffee extract

Method:
Preheat your oven to 160c and lay out 24 muffin cases in trays. Place the flour, brown sugar, bicarb, cocoa powder and cinnamon in a bowl and whisk together then add the vanilla, coffee, milk, oil and golden syrup and mix until everything is well combined and the mixture is glossy and smooth.

Spoon even amounts of the mixture into the cases - I like to use an ice cream scoop for more even amounts. Make sure to scrape the bowl well as this batter likes to cling on.

Place the trays in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until springy to the touch and a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the trays and place on baking racks to cool.

Once the cakes are cool, melt the chocolate in a large bowl, do not use a soup bowl like I did as you end up with icing all over the place! I melted the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second blasts but you could also use a bain-marie if you have one.

Mix the coffee extract with the chocolate and sift in the icing sugar a little at a time until the chocolate starts to stiffen but remains glossy. Either spoon onto the cupcakes or place in a piping bag and swirl onto the cakes.

I had one of the cakes before the icing was set and it was gorgeous and oozy and a total mess to eat but they are equally lovely once set.

Please make these and take a picture, tagging me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife

Thank you