Chocolate Cupcakes With Buttercream by Fearne Cotton

For the cakes

• 3 Egg(s) (free range)
• 150g Butter (unsalted)
• 150g Billington’s Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar

  This is the highest quality caster sugar available and is a great natural alternative to refined caster sugar. It has a warm golden colour from its unrefined nature and is fine grained with a subtle buttery taste, making it perfect for deliciously light sponges, shortbread and macaroons.

• 175g Self-raising white flour
• 25g Cocoa powder

For the decoration

• 250g Butter (unsalted)
• 500g Silver Spoon Icing Sugar

  This is refined white sugar ground to a fine powder with the addition of an anti-caking agent. It dissolves on contact with liquid and is therefore used to sweeten foods that require a smooth texture. It can be used to cover cupcakes and sponges, is easy to colour and flavour and is perfect for butter cream.

• ½ tsp Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract

  Vanilla extract is a superior flavouring ingredient, derived solely from the vanilla pod by soaking it in alcohol and water. Only vanilla extract has the true flavour and aroma of vanilla pods, producing a fuller, richer taste which will transform the taste of any recipe. Vanilla is also a flavour enhancer so will work with other ingredients and flavours in a recipe to give amazing results! It is a versatile ingredient which can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes, try it in your cakes, cupcakes and buttercream. 
  We always recommend using an extract rather than essence when baking. Our favourite extract is Nielsen-Massey, it gives consistently great results, the vanilla pods are handpicked in the finest growing regions of Mexico, Tahiti and Madagascar and enter a cold extraction process to extract the vanilla from the pod whilst still preserving over 300 flavour compounds.

• 0 Milk chocolate chips