Ingredients
250 g unsalted butter, softened
200 g caster sugar
4 eggs
240 g self-raising flour
35 g cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
120 ml milk
2 Tbsp red food colouring
250 g chocolate orange lollies, roughly crushed,to decorate
ITALIAN MERINGUE
2 eggwhites
200 g sugar
100 ml water
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 16 holes of two 12-hole (¹⁄³-cup capacity) muffin tins with paper cases.
- Put butter, sugar, eggs, flour, cocoa, baking powder and vanilla extract in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. With motor running, gradually add milk and red food colouring. Process until mixture is smooth and ingredients are combined.
- Divide mixture into paper cases, filling each to ²⁄³ full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool on a wire.
- To make Italian meringue, heat sugar and water in a medium saucepan over a high heat until mixture reaches 115°C on a sugar thermometer.
- Meanwhile, put eggwhites in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat, using whisk attachment, on medium. When sugar reaches 121°C, carefully pour into eggwhites in a continuous stream as whisking continues. Increase mixer speed to high and keep whisking for 5 minutes, or until meringue cools.
- Using a spatula or a piping bag, top cooled cupcakes with meringue. Decorate with chocolate orange lollies.
