Best Ever Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1¾ Cups Plain White Flour
• 1¾ Cups Sugar
• ¾ Cup Cocoa Powder
• 1½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1½ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
• ½ Cup Oil (I use Canola)
• 1 Cup Milk
• 1 Cup Boiling Water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 160C (320F)Prepare two muffin trays with cupcake casesIn a large bowl add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well until fully combined.Add to this the eggs, vanilla, oil and milk and blend well.Finally add the boiling water and carefully stir until completely blended together.Pour into your prepared cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes. You will need to test at 20 minutes. Bake for 2-3 minutes each time until they bounce back to the touch.Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tray before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool before icing.

BUTTERCREAM ICING

1. In a food mixer bowl add the butter and cream for 4-5 minutes until pale and creamy.
2. Add half the icing sugar, cocoa and half the milk and mix gently, add the other half of the icing sugar, cocoa and milk and blend gently until fully combined.
3. Add the vanilla essence and mix until fully combined, taste and add more cocoa or vanilla as you need.
4. Prepare your piping bag with the appropriate sized tip and half fill the piping bag. (1M tip for roses). Tip is to fold down the top 3rd of the piping bag over your hand to add the buttercream. Then fold back and twist top of the bag.
5. Pipe a swirl from the middle of the cupcake to the outside if creating roses
6. Set aside and repeat.
7. Taste test one or two for quality control purposes before serving.