Blackcurrant Chocolate Cupcakes

By Beverley Glock of Splat Cooking 

The addition of grated courgette or beetroot makes these cupcakes really moist. Created by Beverley Glock who designs recipes for Ocado and runs a cookery school for children, Splat Cooking.  Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

150g soft butter or margarine

150g caster sugar

3 eggs

150g self raising flour

1 tablespoon of Divine Cocoa Powder

150g blackcurrants

1 courgette or beetroot, grated.

For the icing

100g blackcurrants

2 tablespoons caster sugar

500g fondant icing sugar

Equipment 

Cupcake Cases 

Muffin Tray 

Method

Heat the oven to 180c / Gas Mark 4. 

Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Then add the eggs, flour and cocoa powder and mix well. Add the blackcurrants and the courgette or beetroot and gently fold in.  Divine the mixture up between the cupcake cases, then cook for 20-25 minutes. 

Heat the blackcurrants and caster sugar in a small saucepan and cook over a low heat until the blackcurrants ‘collapse’ and the juices flow. Remove from the heat and sieve into the small mixing bowl, squashing the fruit down to extract as much juice as possible.

Put the fondant icing sugar into a medium mixing bowl and gradually mix in the blackcurrant juice until the icing sugar is glossy and sticky.  Add a little water if necessary.

Remove the cakes from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack, leave to cool, then ice the cakes and eat.