Black Forest Cupcakes

These are devine and extremely rich - definately something to be savoured for a special dessert.  I adapted a chocolate cake recipe I found.

375g plain flour
1 and a half teaspoons of baking powder
30g cocoa
400g sugar
250g butter
200g dark chocolate
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
hot water
1 tin of cherries

Preheat oven to 180 degrees and prepare and line two muffin trays (mixture makes 24).  Drain the cherries, keeping the drained liquid.

In a bowl sift and then whisk together all the dry ingredients.

Melt together the butter and chocolate in a double boiler and stir until smooth.

Cool slightly and gradually beat in the dry ingredients.  The mixture will look almost crumbly.  Beat the eggs and vanilla in well.

Pour the reserved cherry juice into a cup and make it up to 375mls with hot water.  Heat in the microwave for another 30 seconds and then mix well into the cake mixture.

Pour two tablespoons of mixture into each cupcake paper.  Add 2 - 3 cherries onto mixture, then cover up with remaining cake mixture. 

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until cooked.  Remove cupcakes from trays after 5 minutes and allow to cool completely before icing with chocolate ganache.  When fresh cherries are in season you can garnish with a fresh cherry.  Or for an even nicer treat garnish with cream and then a cherry on top of the ganche.  Hmmmm yum!

I iced half of mine with ganache, for the adults, and the other half with butter icing for the kids.