Chocolate mouse cupcakes

I absolutely love giving people cakes on their birthday, especially if I have time to make them myself. This weekend was one of D’s best friend’s birthday celebrations so I decided to take some cakes along to the event. Unfortunately, after one too many libations on of the cupcakes met a very sad ending in York station. Alas, such is life.

Anyway, these chocolatey cakes are so easy to make and taste just wonderful. These bring you back to your childhood as soon as you see them as white mice were always a pick n’mix staple. I miss pick n’mix so much!). You can make these in the food processor, but I used my electric whisk. Realising I can use the electric whisk to make my butter cream was something of a game changer. It took literally 2 minutes to mix it all together.

To make your own mouse cupcakes you will need:

For the cupcakes

85g self raising flour

4tbsp cocoa powder

2 large eggs

110g caster sugar

110g softened butter

1tsp baking powder

2tbsp milk (I used coconut milk)

To decorate

120g softened butter

220g icing sugar (approx.)

2tbsp cocoa powder

1tbsp milk (again I used coconut milk and it was fine)

2 packs white mice (or your favourite sweets)

Makes about 12 cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 170°C and line a muffin tin with cake cases. Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and cocoa into a large mixing bowl (or your food processor). To this, add your softened butter, milk and eggs. Either mix by hand with a wooden spoon, use your food processor or mix using and electric whisk until all the ingredients are fluffy and the mix is consistent.

Spoon this mix evenly between your cupcake cases. Bake the cakes for about 20 minutes until springy to the touch.

Leave the cakes to cool before decorating, otherwise your butter cream will slide off.

To make your butter cream whisk (or beat using a fork) together your butter, cocoa powder, milk and 3/4 of the icing sugar. Gradually add the rest of the icing sugar to taste (different people like different amounts of sugar in their butter cream).

Using a flat knife, such as a butter knife, evenly spread the butter cream onto your cupcakes. If you have too much (like I did) this can be kept in the freezer for another time.