DARK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

MAKES 12 CUPCAKES

Decadent, rich, utterly delicious – think of this as the ultimate adult cupcake.

1½ cups gluten-free self-raising flour

⅓ cup cocoa powder

145 grams unsalted butter (or non-dairy alternative), cut into small cubes and at room temperature

1 cup caster (superfine) sugar

3 eggs, at room temperature ¼ cup light oil (e.g. sunflower, rice bran, canola, light olive oil)

1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract

100 grams dark chocolate, roughly chopped

⅓ cup milk (or non-dairy alternative)

Chocolate ganache

200ml single (pure) cream (or non-dairy alternative) 200 grams dark chocolate, broken into small pieces, plus extra shavings to decorate

40 grams unsalted butter (or non-dairy alternative), cut into small cubes and at room temperature

Equipment: Line a 12-hole cupcake pan with paper cases.

Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced) with the oven rack positioned in the middle of the oven.

Sift the flour and cocoa into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted and cream together, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium, until pale and flu y. (Alternatively, mix the ingredients together in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer.)

Reduce the mixing speed to low-medium and add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add the oil and vanilla and continue to mix until well combined. Turn o the mixer, add the chocolate, half the flour mixture and half the milk and gently fold in. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and milk, being careful not to overmix.

Using a ¼ cup spring-loaded ice cream scoop, take a heaped scoop (approx. 65 grams) of mixture and empty it into one of the paper cases so that it is two-thirds full. Repeat with the rest of the mixture and paper cases, being sure not to overfill the cases, as the mixture will double in size on cooking.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, rotating three-quarters of the way through cooking, or until the cupcakes are very lightly coloured and firm to the touch. Remove the cupcakes from the oven, transfer the tin to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Chocolate ganache: When the cupcakes are cool, make the ganache. Bring the cream just to the boil, remove from the heat, add the chocolate and stir until melted. Add the butter and stir until nice and smooth.

Take a cupcake and dip the top of it into the ganache mixture, then turn it over, sprinkle with chocolate shavings and leave to set.