Caramel and Pecan filled Chocolate Cupcakes

So, this was my first experiment with filling cupcakes; it was so easy that I can't believe it's taken me this long to try it. The sauce could have done with being a bit thicker but for a first attempt it did the job. With a toffee flavoured cupcake, caramel and pecan filling and chocolate fudge frosting sprinkled with coconut these were perhaps my most calorifically indulgent to date - I tried to compensate over the weekend by going for a five-mile bike ride. Truth be told the majority of it was down hill. And I got-off and pushed on the slightest hint of an incline. And I got a lift back. But I tried, right?

Anyway, I digress. Divine with a 4pm cup of tea, these will definitely give you that friday-afternoon-almost-finished-work blissful satisfaction.

Makes 10

Ingredients:

75g unsalted butter

140g dark muscovado sugar

2 large egg whites

140g plain flour

2 tbsp cocoa

1 tsp cinnamon

225ml full fat milk with 1tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees.

Blend the butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon - the type of sugar means that it won't go as creamy as usual, so before long add the egg whites.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into a separate bowl. Add half to the sugar mixture.

Add half of the milk concoction (this is a substitute for buttermilk as this recipe is adapted from an american one) to the sugar mixture.

Don't forget the vanilla essence!

Now the other half of the flour mix.

And finally the other half of the milk mixture. Blend well. Spoon into a cupcake case lined muffin tray.

Bake for between 15 and 20 minutes.

For the filling and frosting...

Ingredients:

6 pecans (chopped)

2 tbsp dark brown sugar

4 tbsp milk

1 tbsp golden syrup

1 tbsp butter

75g icing sugar

100g plain chocolate (broken into pieces)

50g butter

Directions:

On a low heat, suspend a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (making sure that the water doesn't come into contact with the base of the suspended bowl).

Gently heat 1tbsp butter, 1tbsp golden syrup, 2 tbsp milk and 2 tbsp dark brown sugar.

Once all the ingredients have melted, remove from the heat and stir in the chopped pecans.

With a sharp knife cut a cone shaped section out of the middle of each of your, now baked and cooled, cupcakes. Using a teaspoon fill each hole and replace just the top of the cone which you have cut out. And repeat.

As before, suspend a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with a small amount of simmering water. Gently heat 1tbsp butter, the chocolate and 2tbsp of milk. Occasionally stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. Be sure to set the saucepan to a low heat - try to avoid the water boiling as chocolate burns easily.

Once melted stir in the icing sugar and spread over the cupcakes whilst the frosting is still warm. And enjoy!