Chocolate and Passion fruit Cupcakes

You know when you have a vision for a bake and it takes over your life? Well that's exactly what happened with these chocolate and passionfruit cupcakes. Passionfruit curd is hard to come by in supermarkets so when I spotted some at the Foodies Festival in Bristol a few weeks ago I screamed with delight. Also, just a side note - you have to try passionfruit curd with strong cheddar cheese. MmmMmm.

Sorry back to the cupcakes. I love this cupcake recipe as it makes such a moist, rich, chocolate cupcake that melts in the mouth. Dark chocolate and passionfruit is a great combination as the rich chocolate cuts through the sweet passionfruit curd. These cupcakes leave no passionfruit stone unturned with passionfruit frosting, drizzle and a hidden curd middle.

Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cupcakes 

(Makes 12) 

75g Melted Dark Chocolate
175g Plain Flour
30g Cocoa Powder
175g Caster Sugar
1/2 TSP Bicarbonate of soda
2 Eggs
100ml Vegetable Oil
120ml Whole Milk
100ml Coffee, cooled

Frosting 
150g Butter
300g Icing Sugar
3 TBSP Passionfruit Curd

Decoration

50g Passionfruit Curd - Middle
50g Passionfruit Curd - Drizzle

Preheat the oven to 160C, Gas mark 3 and line a 12 hole cupcake tin.

Sieve the plain flour, cocoa powder, caster sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl.

Whisk the wet ingredients together including the melted chocolate in a separate bowl and then gradually add to the dry ingredients. Whisk together until silky and smooth.

Pour the mixture into a jug and then fill the cupcake cases just over two thirds full.

Place in the oven and bake for 18 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Once cooked leave them in the tin for five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting whisk the butter until fluffy and light, this should take around five minutes. Gradually add in the icing sugar and whisk until light, fluffy and stiff. This should take around 10 minutes.

Add in the passionfruit curd and whisk slowly until fully incorporated.

Place the frosting inside a disposable piping bag with a 2D or star pipping nozzle attached.

Once the cupcakes are cool, core out the middle using a cupcake corer or an apple corer. Do not throw the middle away as you will need to place them back in the hole.

Fill the holes with passionfruit curd and then place the cored cupcake piece back on top.

Place the piping bag in the middle of the cupcake and pipe the frosting in circular motions to build height. Repeat this step until all the cupcakes are covered.

Drizzle passionfruit curd over the frosting to finish.