These are cupcakes that I've been eating my whole life. I've changed the method a little to include more mixing which helps to create a lighter, fluffier cupcake - so as tedious as it seems to keep the Kenwood or Mixmaster going, it seriously pays off!
Spiced Chocolate Cupcakes
(Makes 12)
100g butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 tspn vanilla extract
150g dark chocolate buttons
2 tbsp instant coffee
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn bi-carb soda
1 tspn mixed spice
1/8 tspn salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 180C and line a 12-hole cupcake pan with papers.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and the brown sugar for 5 minutes on a high speed. Add the eggs a little at a time (over the space of 2-3 minutes), then add the vanilla and beat it gently into the mixture.
Put the chocolate in a saucepan and put it over low heat on the stove and stir until it has melted. Combine the coffee and boiling water together and stir to dissolve the coffee.
Add the dry ingredients, the buttermilk, the chocolate and the coffee to the butter mixture and gently fold the whole lot.
Fill the cupcake cases about 3/4 full then bake the cakes for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Be careful not to over-cook the cupcakes. Put the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely then ice very simply with an icing sugar glaze.
