RED ROSE CUPCAKES #Valentine Day

There’s nothing more romantic then a bunch of red roses – so why not make these special rich chocolate cupcakes topped with romantic flowers to show someone you care this Valentine’s Day?

INGREDIENTS

• 110g butter
• 110g 48% dark chocolate
• 10g coffee granules
• 60g self raising flour
• 60g plain flour
• 10g cornflour
• 25g cocoa powder
• ⅓ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 240g caster sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 ½ tsp vegetable oil or olive oil (not virgin oil)
• 50ml buttermilk
• 80ml of water

FOR THE ICING :

• 110g butter
• 400g icing sugar
• 2 tbls milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp poppy red colouring
• ½ tsp ruby red colouring

FOR THE LEAVES :

• 50g flower paste
• Green colouring
• 1 small rose leaf cutter

YOU WILL ALSO NEED :

• Muffin trays
• 12 cases
• Wilton 1B tip
• Large piping bag
• Household sponge

INSTRUCTIONS

TO MAKE THE LEAVES

1. Colour the flower paste with the holly-green colouring. Roll thinly, 1/8th of an inch thick, cut 12 leaves and place on a sponge to dry.

TO MAKE THE CAKES

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F/Gas Mark 3 and line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake cases.
2. Place butter, chopped chocolate, coffee granules and water in a large bowl over a pan of boiling water, stir gently until melted then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre. Add the beaten eggs, oil and buttermilk and the chocolate mixture, stirring with a large spoon until completely combined.
4. Fill cupcake cases to 2/3 full and bake for 30 minutes. Remove and cool in the tins for 10 minutes before cooling on a wire rack ready for icing.

TO MAKE THE ICING

1. Add butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl, then beat for about 5 minutes with an electric whisk until smooth. Add the red colouring and beat again. Pour the milk gradually, if you need to loosen the mixture.
2. Pipe roses onto your cakes. Watch our step-by-step video to see how to ice cupcake roses.

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