Lindor Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

• For the Cupcakes
• Unsalted Butter / Stork (150g)
• Caster Sugar (150g)
• Self Raising Flour (125g)
• Cocoa Powder (25g)
• 3 Medium Eggs (150g)
• 12 Lindor Truffles - Frozen
• For the Buttercream and Decoration
• Unsalted Butter (150g)
• Icing Sugar (300g)
• 70% Lindt Chocolate, or any Dark Chocolate - Melted (150g)
• Milk (1-2 tablespoons)
• 12 Lindor Truffles - Frozen

Method

• For the Cupcakes

1. Place your lindor truffles in the freezer for at least 1 hour before starting! Heat oven to 180°C. Line a cupcake tray with 12 cupcake cases.
2. Cream the butter/stork and caster sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs and sieve in the flour and cocoa powder. Mix until smooth.
4. Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 cupcake cases. Bake for 10 minutes, then take out of the oven and quickly but carefully press a frozen lindor in to each cupcake. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minute (20-25 minutes total cook time), or until the cupcakes are springy to touch, and a skewer/toothpick comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool for a minute in the cupcake tray, then transfer the cupcakes in their cases to a wire cooling rack. Allow to fully cool before decorating with buttercream.

• For the Buttercream and Decoration

1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over boiling water (or in the microwave in 10 second burstS) and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Beat room temperature butter for a couple of minutes using a hand or stand mixure until the butter has softened.
3. Add in the icing sugar, and beat till the buttercream is smooth, softened, turned lighter in colour.
4. Add the melted chocolate and beat for another couple of minutes. Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk until the desired consistency has been reached Be careful, don't add too much - a little goes a long way. You're looking for a smooth and workable buttercream!
5. Use a spatula to add the buttercream to a large piping bag with a 8B Open Star Piping tip. And then pipe buttercream on to each cupcake, finish with a lindor truffle for decoration, and then enjoy!

Notes

• - Store your lindor chocolate cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature and consume within 3 days (although they are best on the same day!)
• - For a plain vanilla sponge remove the 25g of cocoa powder and add an additional 25g of self raising flour.
• - Don't worry about the buttercream tasting bitter if you're not a dark chocolate fan; the icing sugar means that this buttercream has a sweet yet deeply rich chocolate flavour! That said, you can use 150g of milk chocolate in replace of the of the 150g of dark chocolate if you prefer!