Chocolate fudge cupcakes

I'm not sure if you have heard of the 'Family Day out' that occurs on every fourth Saturday of May as Singapore's Family Day Out. As an ongoing initiative by my company, we do get our 'Family Day' on the last Wednesday of every month. To be honest, I would say that it does let us look forward to that day when we can spend it with our loved ones, family and friends instead of working and working all day and all night long.

Well, today my Family Day is rather special. Although Mr G was expected late at home from his hectic work schedule, he did mention for me to have dinner with him since it's Family Day :) I like it when he tries to make an effort for us. Anyway, my Family Day is special because I suddenly thought of baking some chocolate fudge cupcakes as it's been long due as a promise to my BFF as well as a little treat for Mr G. Afterall, they did say that chocolate does make one happy isn't it? Enough said, here's the recipe.

Recipe adapted from BBC GoodFood

Ingredients:

• 200g butter
• 200g chocolate buttons 
• 150g brown sugar
• 100ml hot water
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
• 250g self-raising flour**

Icing:

• 200g chocolate buttons
• 100ml low fat cream
• 50g icing sugar

Before we begin, this is a good to know.

Double-boiling method

For home bakers who are noobs about chocolate baking or cooking, do the double-boil method. Double boiling method consists of a pot that is half filled with water and put it to boil. Whilst the water in the pot is slowly getting boiled, put a bowl that fits perfectly on top of the pot. You can then melt your chocolate in the bowl. This prevents your chocolate from getting burnt.

Preheat your oven to 160 degrees celsius and line your 12-muffin tin with muffin cases.

Put chocolate buttons, butter, sugar and hot water into the bowl and stir occasionally. This is how it looks like when you are slowly melting butter with the chocolate.

Melted chocolate

When the butter and chocolate has totally melted, you will see your chocolate mixture glisten. 

Now pour in the beaten eggs and vanilla essence and mix well. See the yellow bits at the top right hand corner? Those are the eggs that are being incorporated.

Once you've weighed the self raising flour, you can pour the chocolate mixture as per the picture below and mix well.

This is what you will see when your chocolate fudge is all done. Then you can put them into your muffin cases. Remember to fill it till only 3/4 full. This is because with self-raising flour, the cupcakes will 'rise' and will engorge if you overfill them.

my Hello Kitties in the oven

Bake your cupcakes for about 20 minutes and then, let them cool.

Isn't she a beauty? Now I was quite tempted to put little choc bits into the 'eyes' and 'nose'. Nah, I'm going to do my icing in a bit.

When your cupcakes have start to get cooled, you can prepare your icing or chocolate ganache.

melted chocolate

Using the same double boiling method, melt the chocolate. Once the chocolate has totally melted (as in you don't see the chocolate buttons anymore), turn off the heat and stir in low fat cream and place your sieve over the bowl to sift the icing sugar directly onto the bowl. This way, you need not wash one extra bowl :) Mix well. When it is fairly thick, you are ready to ice your cupcakes!

iced cupcakes

Ok after they are iced, they do look a tad black or a tinge of brown. And for the fact that I like chocolate bitter with a taste of sweetness, I did think that this should be enough save for the sprinkles, smarties etc that will add to the sweetness even more. 

**you do know that if you do not have self-raising flour, you can always add 130g plain flour with 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt.