Mrs Darlington's Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

Serves 12

Preheat the oven to 180C/160 Fan/Gas 4

You will need a 12 hole muffin tray and 12 paper muffin cases

A very chocolatey cupcake with a hidden cherry surprise centre. Perfect for cake sales.

  • Ingredients

  • 125g soft unsalted butter

  • 75g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), broken into pieces

  • 340g Mrs Darlington's Morello Cherry Jam

  • 150g caster sugar

  • 1 pinch of salt

  • 2 large eggs (beaten)

  • 150g self raising flour

  • For the icing:

  • 100g dark chocolate (bourneville is fine)

  • 100ml double cream

  • 12 natural-coloured glace cherries

Method to Success

Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat, add the chocolate and stir gently with a wooden spoon. Being careful not to overheat the chocolate.

Now add the Mrs Darlington’s Morello Cherry Jam, sugar, salt and the eggs. Stir to combine all the ingredients. Finally add the flour.

Place the paper muffin cases inside the muffin tray.

Divide the muffin mixture between the 12 cases.

Bake for 25 minutes, leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

When the cupcakes are cool, use a teaspoon to remove a small amount of the muffin. Fill this small gap with a teaspoon of Mrs Darlington’s Morello Cherry Jam.

Add the 100 mls of cream to a sauce pan along with 100g of dark bourneville chocolate (break the chocolate into small pieces before adding to the pan). Bring to the boil and then whisk by hand or with an electric whisk – until thick and smooth.

Ice the cupcakes, smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon and stand a cherry in the centre of each.