Cherry and Chocolate Cupcakes

I think my cherries were too ripe this year when I made my jam because it just did not set
and  I made a lot of jars, there is only so much ice cream and cherries you can eat so I googled what else I could make with unset cherry jam and found this recipe for Chocolate and Cherry Cupcakes.

Apolgies but I did not save the site just wrote the recipe down but thank you to whoever it was that came up with this recipe.  I made a batch up this morning and my daughter and grand children said they tasted just like shop bought cakes and were the best cakes I have ever made, so if you have some unset Cherry Jam give these a go you wont be disappointed especially if you get one with a juicy cherry in. I decided not to add a topping for mine

 

 

 

 



Recipe

 

125 grams soft unsalted butter
100 grams dark chocolate broken into pieces or
(12 level Tablespoons cocoa powder as I did not have chocolate) I have to say I prefer Cocoa Powder for chocolate cakes
300 grams Morello cherry jam
150 grams caster sugar
1 pinch of salt
2 large eggs (beaten)
150 grams self-raising flour

Topping

100 g dark chocolate
100ml double cream
Cherries

 

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4/350ºF. Put the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan on the heat to melt. When melted, stir in the chocolate or cocoa powder.

Leave for a moment to begin softening if using chocolate pieces, then take the pan off the heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the butter and chocolate are smooth and melted. Now add the cherry jam, sugar, salt and eggs. Stir with a wooden spoon and when all is pretty well amalgamated stir in the flour. put into muffin/paper cases and bake for 25 minutes.

You can also add a topping if you wish

When the cupcakes are cool, break the chocolate for the icing into little pieces and add them to the cream in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and then whisk - by hand or electrically - till thick and smooth. Ice the cupcakes, smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon, and stand a cherry in the centre of each, or even a piece of Cadbury Flake.

I also made the Chocolate Orange Cupcakes but these were not as yummy as the cherry ones

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes, substitute the cherry jam and the cherry garnish for good orange marmalade and candied orange peel.