Chocolate and Raspberry Cupcakes

Cupcakes is a departure for me, having never made them before.  But I had a Victoria Sponge recipe that I wanted to try, with some freeze-dried raspberry powder.  I have another recipe that I want to use it for, but thought I would try out the cupcakes first.

It all went quite easily, as you would expect with a cupcake, and the flavour and aroma of raspberry was just sufficiently evident to make the experiement worthwhile.  Adding some raspberry jam(jelly)  just makes them extra special, and the chocolate buttercream finishes everything off very well.

Ingredients:
for the cakes

• 175g/6oz unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 3 large free-range eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 175g/6oz self-raising flour
• 2 tbsp of raspberry powder

1. Preheat the oven to 190C(170C fan)/375F/Gas 5. Lightly grease the tins with butter.
2. To make the cakes, cream the butter and caster sugar together until the mixture is pale and light. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
3. Sift the flour into the bowl and fold in until the mixture is glossy and smooth, and stir in the raspberry powder until combined.
4. Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers
5. Evenly divide the batter between the 12 holes and bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops are soft and springy to the touch.
6. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.
7. When cool scoop a little hole in the centre top of each cupcake and replace with a teaspoon of raspberry jam
8. In a bain marie(double boiler) melt the chocolate
9. As it melts mix the softened butter and icing sugar, and the vanilla extract.
10. Pour in the chocolate and mix together until it is all smooth. If the mixture seems a little too dry add a little milk to loosen it slightly.
11. Scoop the buttercream mixture into an icing bag with a start nozzle, and pipe onto each cupcake.