Scrumptious Chocolate cup-cake type thingys

I have been through a bit of a baking experimental stage, of late. Cookies, cakes, bread, pastries and cup cake type thingys. "What is a cup cake type thingy?" I hear you all say. Well I keep forgetting to buy cupcake cases, so i improvised at little, by using a silicone muffin tray/mould, and no cases. This was the pleasant result I got. This mix makes around 10-12 cakes.

Ingredients 

5oz Self raising flour

1 1/2oz Drinking chocolate

1 1/2oz cocoa powder

6oz Castor sugar

3oz Sunflower margarine
3oz Unsalted butter (softened) 

3 Large eggs

3 Tablespoons of hot water.

1. Preheat oven to 140 degrees.

2. Lightly butter the muffin tray, it does not have to be silicone. Place in fridge to chill the butter. (This will help prevent the cakes from splitting when removing from mould.)

3. Gently mix together all the ingredients, except the water. Do not over mix as this will make the cakes stodgy.

4. Slowly add the water, whilst mixing, until a smooth paste is formed.

5. Pour the mix nearly to the top of the moulds.

5. Place in the pre-heated oven for around 35 minutes, or until the cakes feel springy to the touch.

6. Remove from oven. Leave to cool in the tray for a few minutes, then gently prise from tin/mould and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Coconut and Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients

4oz softened butter
6oz icing sugar
2 tbsp Coconut milk or coconut cream
Seeds from one vanilla pod, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

1. Beat the butter and half of the icing sugar until smooth.
2. Add the rest of the icing sugar, beat again until smooth. Scrape the sides of bowl to make sure all is mixed well.
3. Add the Vanilla and coconut milk/cream, beat until very smooth.

Constructing the cakes
1. Once the cakes are cooled, using a sharp bread knife, carefully cut the tops off, creating a nice flat surface. Using cookie cutters/shapes cut stars, hearts, circles or whatever takes your fancy, from the cake tops.
2. Place frosting into a piping bag, or a freezer bag with the corner cut off, and generously pipe onto the cake. Then add your cut out shapes, dust a few with icing sugar and impress your friends with the finished pieces of art!


You can also use the cut-off tops sandwiched together with the frosting, as shown.

Many thanks to Julia England (@wannabefoodie76 on twitter, who also has a great blog A wanna be foodie!) for providing me with the basis of this recipe, general advice and all-round-good-banter!