Ravishing Rocky Road Cupcakes!

Hello, Hello, Hello! I'm rather excited today as it is now one year until my wedding! This day next year will be a HUUUGE day and I can't wait, I will be a WIFE! Anyway, exciting news aside, it's cupcake time now! These buns look pretty special and taste special too, yummy scrummy! These buns are sure to impress whoever eats them. I think they look like ice-cream sundaes, perfect summer baking! I found this wonderful recipe in a Marks and Spencer Cupcake recipe book (they are real quality, ya know!!). I think these cakes would be perfect for kids as they look so pretty and colourful :) the sponge is even marbled like Neapolitan ice-cream. Here's the wee recipe, along with my adjustments...

Rocky Road Cupcakes

Marble Cake

125g butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract ( I added a tiddly bit more!)

150g caster sugar

2 eggs

185g self-raising flour

80ml milk

pink food colouring

1 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tsp milk, extra

Rocky Road Topping

70g roasted peanuts ( I used almonds, which also works well!)

200g glacé cherries, halved

100g pink and white marshmallows, chopped

25g coconut flakes ( dessicated coconut works well!)

200g milk chocolate, melted

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 12-hole standard muffin tray with paper cases.

2. Beat butter, extract, sugar and eggs in a bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in sifted flour and milk in 2 batches.

3. Divide mixture between three bowls. Tint one mixture pink. Mix cocoa powder with milk and add to second bowl. Leave the third as it is.

4. Drop alternative spoonfuls of the mixtures into the cases. Pull a skewer backwards and forwards through mix to get marbled effect.

5. Bake cakes about 20mins, then turn unto wire racks to cool. Don't eat yet, there's still a bit more to do.

6.Combine topping ingredients in a bowl.

7.Place topping on cupcakes and drizzle with melted chocolate. Now you can eat them, be careful though you will get chocolate all over your face( well hey, at least you enjoyed them!).

I also used some melted white chocolate on the top of the cupcakes, to help the topping to stick. I recommend giving this recipe a go, especially if you want to dress to impress your cupcake :).I think this was the first adventurous cupcake recipe I have ever tried, I will definitely be trying again. I have been having big cravings for banoffee things lately, maybe I will make a banoffee cupcake next, yum! Hope you are having a lovely day filled with smiles and hugs! Happy Baking!

Rachaelxx.

P.s. I love getting comments and I would love to know what you have been baking this week??