Butterscotch Chocolate Cupcakes

These were something I had to be able to produce rather quickly, one evening after work recently. One of my colleagues was moving jobs, to a more senior post and I wanted to make some cupcakes for her - after all, what kind of baking colleague would I be if I didn't provide some form of leaving cake!

As such, it wasn't the time to try out new exciting recipes, but to stick to a tried, tested and trusted recipe, but with a little twist - added chopped chocolate. I do enjoy the contrast in texture of biting into a piece of chocolate in the midst of the soft cupcake, and chopping the chocolate fairly small means that it doesn't all sink.

For myself, it's dark chocolate all the way, but I had a bar of Green and Black's Butterscotch chocolate which is a dark milk chocolate (34% cocoa) with little butterscotchy pieces in it (rather more-ish as I nibble a little as I type).

Butterscotch Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
175g softened butter
175g caster sugar (or a mixture of caster sugar and light muscovado)
150g self raising flour
3 large eggs
20g cocoa powder
50g Butterscotch Milk Chocolate, chopped

For the frosting
100g milk chocolate (I used Green and Black's 34% milk chocolate here)
40g butter

Method

- Preheat the oven to gas 4/180C. Place 12 liners in a muffin tin.

- Cream together the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy.

- Add the eggs, flour and cocoa powder and continue to beat until well mixed.

- Fold in the chopped chocolate and divide between the prepared cases.

- Bake for around 25 minutes until they are risen and springy and a cake tester comes out clean.

- Allow to cool on a wire rack.

- When cool, make the frosting - melt the chocolate and then add the cubed butter, stirring until it has all amalgamated. You may need to allow it to cool a little before using, but when the texture seems thick enough to hold, spread onto the cupcakes and sprinkle with decorations of your choice.

I guess I probably don't need to say that these went well - I gift boxed some for my colleague who was leaving to take home for her family and then the rest were enjoyed by my other colleagues. Good Luck in your new job S.

It's nearly National Cupcake Week - you can check out their website (and naturally follow them on facebook and twitter if that's your thing!) for more info, but this means that this month's Calendar Cakes challenge (hosted alternately by Rachel of Dolly Bakes and Laura of Laura Loves Cakes) is Cupcakes. So I am entering these into the challenge. Super easy and very tasty!