chocolate marble cupcakes

What are we celebrating? Certainly *not* having a cold.

Healing took a lot of Lempsip, saline spray, chocolate buttercream and sprinkles.

Also binging on The Office.

The marbled cupcake was a recipe I wanted to recreate as it brings me so many good memories. It was a favourite at my grandmother’s house. Hot, hazy afternoons with milky coffee and a slice of marbled bundt cake.

This recipe seems long but it is very straightforward. The buttercream is vegan but you can substitute the plant based butter and milk with regular butter and milk.

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Chocolate marble cupcakes (makes 12)

250g butter

220g caster sugar

3 eggs

220g plain flour

4 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla paste

1 ½ tsp baking powder

2 tbsp cocoa + 2 tbsp milk

For the buttercream:

150g chocolate 60% cocoa solids, melted

250g Flora plant butter, softened

400g icing sugar

3 tbsp cocoa powder

50ml of oat milk

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1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line a muffin tin with paper cases.

2. Beat the butter and caster sugar together until the mixture is pale in colour. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

3. Add the flour, 4 tbsp milk and vanilla paste until the mixture is smooth.

4. Divide the mixture between 2 bowls. Stir the cocoa powder and 2 tbsp of milk into the mixture in one of the bowls. Take 2 spoons and use them to dollop the chocolate and vanilla cake mixes into the tin alternately.

5. When all the mixture has been used up tap the bottom on your work surface to ensure that there aren’t any air bubbles. Take a skewer or chopstick and swirl it around the mixture a few times to create a marbled effect.

6. Bake for 12-15 mins until golden brown an a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

7. To make the buttercream, whisk the softened butter until super soft then slowly add the icing sugar. Whisk together until smooth (start off slowly to avoid an icing sugar cloud) then beat in the melted chocolate and the milk. Spoon or pipe onto the cooled cupcakes. I used a star tip to pipe and coloured sprinkles.

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