Chetna Makan's chocolate cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4 and line a muffin tray with 12 muffin cases.

2. In a bowl, combine the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes with an electric whisk. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the cupcake ingredients and then add this to the egg mixture and whisk until combined well.

3. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake for 15-18 minutes until set. Remove them from the tray immediately and cool on a rack.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the ganache. Heat the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl over a pan of hot water until they have melted. Let it cool for a few seconds, then pour in the cream and whisk it together. Set aside to cool.

5. For the marshmallow topping, heat the sugar, syrup and 2 tbsp water in a small saucepan until it reaches a soft ball point – around 118°C. 

6. In a heatproof bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form and slowly drizzle the sugar syrup into the egg mix while still whisking. Continue to whisk until the mixture is glossy and slightly cooled.  Spoon into a disposable piping bag and cut a 1cm round off the tip of the bag. 

7. Pour the ganache into a piping bag and cut a 1cm round off the tip of the bag. Pipe over cooled cupcakes then pipe a tall swirl of  marshmallow mixture on top of the ganache. Finish each cupcake with a chocolate egg.

Cook’s tip
Try blow torching the marshmallow tops of the cupcakes before decorating with the chocolate eggs.