Nothing says ‘summer’ quite like a BBQ with friends out on the patio, and a dessert to WOW them. So, why not try my new Chocolate and Cherry Cupcake recipe with Baileys Buttercream? There is nothing quite like the combination of chocolate, cherries and baileys to get your taste buds dancing on a hot summer’s afternoon.

Here’s how you make them…

Ingredients for the cupcakes:

• 200g Butter (at room temp)
• 200g Caster Sugar
• 160g Plain Flour
• 40g Cocoa Powder (pure)
• 200g Morello Cherry Jam
• Tin of Black Cherries (pitted)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• Pinch of Salt
• 4 Medium Free-range Organic Eggs

Ingredients for the Butter Cream:

• 250g Unsalted Butter (at room temp)
• 500g Icing Sugar
• 3-4 tbsp Baileys

Method for Cupcakes:

• Set the oven to 180°C. If you have a fan-assisted oven, set the oven to 160°C. Line a cupcake-baking tray with paper cupcake liners.
• In a clean, dry bowl add the butter and beat continuously for 3-5mins, until the butter turns to a pale cream colour.
• Once the butter has been fully aerated, add in the sugar and beat continuously again until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Now, add in the eggs one at a time until you have added all 4 eggs into the mix.
• In a separate bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and stir with a spoon.
• Now, add in the dry ingredients 1/3 at a time into the wet egg mixture andstir well until the dry mix is totally incorporated.
• From here, add in the cherry jam. If you would like it to become a part of the batter, then mix it continuously however, if you want your cupcakes to have more of a swirl appearance, then only half mix it.
• Drain the tin of black cherries and add them into the batter. If you would like a cherry with every mouthful, then add in the whole tin. If you would like them to be a surprise now and then, then add in half the tin, it really is to your taste.
• Once all of the ingredients have been mixed together, spoon the batter into the paper cupcake liners, until they are 2/3 full, this will allow the batter to rise in the oven, without overspill. If you do not have a batter scooper, then I find that one-heaped tablespoon is roughly the amount you’re looking for.
• Place the cupcakes in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until they spring back to the touch.
• Once the cupcakes are ready, remove them from the oven and leave to stand for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes, remove the cupcakes from the baking tray and leave to stand on a wire rack, until completely cold.

Method for butter cream:

• Whilst the cupcakes are cooling fully, this will provide the perfect amount of time to create the baileys butter cream.
• In a clean, dry bowl add the unsalted butter at room temp and beat continuously until the colour changes from a yellow colour to a pale cream colour.
• Once this colour change occurs, add the icing sugar 1/3 at a time and using a spoon, beat it together with the butter. Do not use an electric mixer at this stage, as the icing sugar will end up all over your kitchen surfaces instead of in the butter cream.
• Once all of the butter and icing sugar come together, you’ll notice that the texture will be far too thick. This is now the time to add the baileys. Add this to taste.
• Once all the ingredients have been combined. Pipe directly onto the cupcakes.

Let me know what you think of my new recipe in the comment box below and of course, don’t forget to share!

Lots of love,

Jennifer

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