Scrummy Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream and chocolate drizzled meringue

Ingredients:
‎200g butter softened, 
200g caster sugar
150g self raising flour,
50g cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder. 
4 eggs. 
1-2 tbsp milk

Pre heat oven to 180*c
Cream butter with the sugar til light and fluffy.
Stir in flour, cocoa and baking powder.
Gradually whisk in the eggs.
Stir in milk to loosen the mixture to a dropping consistency.

Spoon into paper cases and bake for approx 17 mins (test with a wooden skewer, if it comes out clean they are ready) 
allow to cool on a cake rack before decorating.

Buttercream:
175g butter 
450g icing sugar
2 tbsp milk
50g cocoa
 
Beat the butter with the sifted cocoa & icing sugar. 
Add the milk and beat until smooth and creamy
Pop into a piping bag with a big star nozzle.

 For meringues you need :
2 egg whites
100g caster sugar

Make sure the bowl you are using is spotlessly clean
whisk egg whites til it peaks
Then add sugar a small bit at a time all the while whisking til mixture is thick & glossy. 
Pop in piping bag with star nozzle and pipe on to greasproof paper to make the cake decorations

 Pop in preheated oven at 150*c for ten mins then turn heat down to 140*c 
bake for further 30-40 mins.
keep an eye on them! 
Turn off oven but leave meringue in to cool

Melt dark chocolate in bowl over saucepan of hot water and drizzle over cooled baked meringue, leave to set. 

Pipe buttercream on to cakes then stick a meringue star on the top 

Variations of decoration mmmmm