Duncan's Birthday Cupcakes

This was a new recipe and a new idea ... I got the chocolate cupcake recipe from Love Food's 'Mmmmm.... Chocolate' recipe book - the original recipe is for 'Chocolate Butterfly Cupcakes':

*Makes 12 cupcakes

Chocolate cupcakes:

- 125 grams soft margarine
- 125 grams caster sugar
- 150 grams of self-raising flour, sifted
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 25 grams of plain chocolate, melted

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees
2. Spray your cupcake pan with non-stick cooking spray and line it with 12 cupcake cases
3. Melt the 25 grams of chocolate on 'Medium' in the microwave - watch it, as I burnt mine a few times ...
4. Place the margarine, caster sugar, flour eggs and cocoa powder into a large bowl and beat until the mixture is just smooth.
(I added a cap full of milk as the mixture tends to be quite thick and stodgy)
5. Fill the cupcake cases with the mixture (3/4's of the way) and place the pan in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes

(If you want to check if the cupcakes are ready, take a cake tester or a toothpick and stick it in the middle of a cupcake, If it comes out 'clean', then they are ready!)

Condensed milk icing:

- 125 grams unsalted butter
- 200 grams of icing sugar
- 1 tbsp of milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla essence
- 2-3 tbsp. of condense milk - depending on how sweet you want it!

1. Beat the butter in the large bowl until it's smooth and fluffy
2. Add the icing sugar, milk, vanilla essence and condense milk and continue to beat.

(I added Whispers as well as drizzled chocolate for the toppings)