San Valentine Recipe ❤

400gr cocoa
175gr caster sugar
175gr butter (soft)
115gr self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs

Icing:
140 gr butter (soft)
280 gr icing sugar
2 tbsp. milk

to decorate:
mini marshmallows
stripy paper straws
candy canes and sugar hearts

Pre heat the oven 170*C,
sift cocoa into a large heat proof bowl,
add 5 tbsp. of hot (no boiling) water or coffee and stir in to create thick paste,
leave the mixture to one side while you line a 12 hole muffin tin with,
papercake cases and weigh out the rest of the cupcake ingredients,
once the cocoa mix has cooled down a little,
add all the remaining cake,
ingredients and beat together for one to two minutes,
using a electronic whisk,
divide the cake batter everly between the paper cake cases and bake for approximately 25′ until the cakes have risen and are firm to the touch,
remove the cakes from the oven and cool in the tin for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the buttercream icing:
first beat the butter until very soft,
gradually incorporate the icing sugar,
the beat until it is fluffy and pale in colour,
add the milk if the icing appears too stiff,
spoon the icing into a piping bag,
filled with a large shaped then onto the cupcakes,
decore with mini marshmallow and candy cane.