Ingredients
⅓ cup cocoa powder, sifted
⅓ cup boiling water
125 g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature
¾ cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1¼ cups plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
125 g punnet fresh raspberries
Frosting
150 g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature
2½ cups icing sugar mixture
2 tbsp milk
pink food colouring
Method
- Line a 12-hole muffin pan (¹⁄³-cup capacity) with paper cases.
- Blend cocoa with water in a small heatproof jug. Cool.
- Beat butter and sugar in small bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Gradually beat in cocoa mixture on a low speed until combined. The mixture will look curdled at this point. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
- Fold in combined sifted flour and baking powder, and milk, in two batches, until combined. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of mixture into each paper case. Sprinkle evenly with raspberries. Top with remaining mixture.
- Cook in a moderate oven (180C) for about 20 minutes, or until cooked when tested. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- To make frosting, beat butter in a small bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add icing sugar, ½ cup at a time, beating until combined. Beat in milk. Tint pink with colouring. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle. Pipe onto cupcakes in a spiral pattern, starting at the centre of each cake.
