These are a chocolate lover’s delight.  I made these as a gift for a pregnant friend with a fondness for chocolate.

Chocolate & Maltesers Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

For the cakes

75g butter, softened

230g golden caster sugar

250g plain flour

40g cocoa powder

100ml sour cream

1 tsp bicarb

120ml milk

2 eggs

12 Malteser chocolates

For the frosting

100g unsalted butter, softened

135g icing sugar

20ml milk

1 ¼ tbsp cocoa powder

150g Maltesers spread

To decorate

12 Maltesers chocolates

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

For the cupcakes

Place the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat with a hand whisk or in a stand mixer until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, soured cream and milk until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, bicarb and cocoa powder and stir into the mixture.  Spoon half the mixture into the paper cases and place one Malteser into each cup then top with the remaining cake mixture.  Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until well risen and firm.  Allow the cakes to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting

Place the butter, icing sugar, cocoa powder, Maltesers spread and milk into a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer or, in the bowl of a stand mixer, until smooth and creamy.  Place into a piping bag fitted with a large round-hole nozzle.  Pipe a swirl of frosting onto each cupcake and top with a Maltesers chocolate.