RECIPE BY:

Matt Sinclair

SERVING SIZE:

2 – 4 people

INGREDIENTS:

• 150gm Plain Flour
• 10gm Cocoa powder
• ½ tsp. Bi Carb Soda
• ½ tsp. Salt
• 60gm Lurpak unsalted butter, room temperature
• 150gm Caster Sugar
• 20 ml red food colouring paste
• ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1 egg
• 120ml Buttermilk
• 1 ½ tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

• 300gm Icing Sugar, sifted
• 60gm Lurpak unsalted butter, room temperature
• 125gm Philadelphia Cream cheese, cubed and softened
• ½ tsp Apple cider vinegar

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 170C/ 150C fan forced. Line a muffin tray with paper muffin cases.
• In a large mixing bowl, sift in flour, cocoa and bicarb soda, add salt and mix to combine.
• In a stand mixer, add butter and sugar and beat using a paddle attachment until mixture is soft and pale. Slowly add food colouring and vanilla.
• Still beating, add a small amount of the dried ingredients and the egg, beat until egg has combined before adding the remaining dry ingredients.
• Add in the buttermilk and vinegar and gently beat until well combined.
• Divide mixture into patty cases and place on the middle rack of the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes. A skewer in the middle of the cake should come out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack and ice with frosting when cakes have cooled completely.
• Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting. Add icing sugar to a mixing bowl and break up any lumps. Add softened butter and cream cheese and beat on a medium speed until well combined. Pour in vinegar and beat until light and fluffy. Pipe or slather mixture onto cooled cupcakes.

Our friends at Wine Selectors recommend pairing this dish with a Tawny Port.