Method
1. Add cake cases to a 12 hole deep cupcake tin and preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan /Gas 6.2. Over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl then set aside. In a separate large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract then the eggs one at a time, beating well.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder and mix in carefully until just combined, before finally folding in the melted chocolate and milk.
4. Divide the mixture equally between cake cases and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until well risen. Allow cakes to cool slightly in the tin for 5 minutes before carefully removing and allowing to cool completely on a wire rack. Brush each cake with a little syrup from the Opies Black Cherries with Kirsch jar.
5. Using a small knife or apple corer, hollow out each cupcake slightly and fill the hole with a teaspoon of cherry conserve.
6. To make the cream, whip the double cream along with the icing sugar, vanilla extract and a tablespoon or two of reserved kirsch syrup until thick.
7. Pipe or spread the icing onto each cupcake using a spatula, then add a single cherry to the top and scatter over the chocolate curls.
Ingredients
• 50g best quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 175g butter, softened
• 175g soft brown light sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 175g self-raising flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 50g cocoa powder
• 50ml milk
• Syrup from a jar of Opies Black Cherries with Kirsch
For the filling
• 80g black cherry conserve
To decorate
• 200ml double cream
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Dark chocolate curls to sprinkle
• Opies Black Cherries with Kirsch, 12 cherries to decorate
• Dark chocolate curls
