For Sarah !

Sarah asked me for the recipe for the Maltesar cupcakes I baked yesterday , the sponge and frosting are from two different sources ...Hummingbird and Nigella respectively , these are yummy little cakes and quickly disappeared at coffee time in my office this morning !!

Heres the recipe ...

Malteser CupCakes
For the cakes
100g Plain Flour
20g cocoa powder
140g caster sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
40g Unsalted butter at room temperature
120ml milk
1 egg
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the icing and decoration
250g icing sugar
1 teaspoon cocoa
45g Horlicks
125g soft unsalted butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 large pack of Maltesars (so there is loads left over !)

Preheat the oven to 170c (325F) or Gas 3

Put the flour, cocoa, sugar , baking powder salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.

Whisk the egg , milk and vanilla extract together and slowly pour half into the flour mixture beat to combine then turn the mixer up to fast to get rid of any lumps

Turn mixer down and add the rest of the egg mixture, continue mixing for a couple more minutes until everything is smooth.

Spoon into cupcake cases and bake in preheated oven for 20 – 25 mins or until the sponge bounces back when touched. Leave to cool slightly in the tray then move to cooling rack.

Once the cakes are cold, you can get on with the icing.

Put the icing sugar, cocoa and Horlicks in the mixer and mix to remove all lumps. Add the butter and mix again. Stop, scrape down, and start again, pouring the milk in gradually with the mixer on slow until you have a smooth buttercream.

Swirl on top of your cooled cupcakes and add a Maltesar to the top of each cake ….eat the rest of the Maltesars yummy !

Hope you have a fabby weekend , we are off to a Village Fete !!