Heart Attack Cupcakes

Hi Blogosphere!
This post comes with a health warning: If you're a doctor, a dietitian or a personal trainer, look away now... if not, read on.
Here are some heart attack cupcakes. So called not only because they're not so good for the old pipes, but also because the eater will be struck by cupid's arrow as soon as they sink their teeth into these little beauties. I'm going to work backwards in photos... because once you've seen the finished product, you wont be able to resist reading on! Okay - so here is the heart attack:

I told you so! I'm still a little star struck that I managed to pull this off, and also still enjoying the sugar high from licking the spoon. When you sink your teeth into the lovely cakes, look at what you'll find:

"Why would anyone do this to their arteries?" I hear you ask... Well, if you've asked that you're reading the wrong blog.

So, on to the how to:

Ingredients:
50g cocoa powder
100g dark muscovado
250ml boiling water
125g butter (softened)
150g caster sugar
225g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Frosting:
125ml water
30g dark muscovado
175g butter
300g dark choc (best quality you can afford, but don't worry if its only Sainsbury's basics)
125g icing sugar

Caramel:
1 tin condensed milk


Method:

preheat oven to 180*C

First step: fill a large saucepan with cold water and put unopened tin of condensed milk in it. Make sure the water covers the tin. Put the pan on high heat to boil for no less than 3 hours. While this is going on you can do all the following.


Mix cocoa and muscovado in a bowl, and add the boiling water, mix well until all one colour.
Mix flour, bicarb and baking powder in separate recepticle.
Cream butter and sugar until pale and then add the first egg. Add half a cup of the flour mix and then the other egg. Add the vanilla and then the rest of the flour mix. Then add the cocoa mixture, mix well, being sure to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. The mixture might look a bit runny but don't worry... that is how it should be.

Half fill cupcake or muffin cases in the tins and bake for 15 minutes (cupcake size) or 18 minutes (muffin size)
You may have to do this in more than one batch. No trouble, its only going to prolong the lovely smell in your house. Take out and cool etc.

For the frosting, put the water, muscovado and butter in a pan over a low heat. When the mixture begins to bubble take it off the heat and add the chocolate. Stir it like mad until its all glossy and gorgeous. Allow to cool down, stirring periodically. At this point it will be quite bitter from all the dark chocolate, and still quite loose. Add icing sugar to taste and to thicken. As much or as little as you like.

Once the cakes are cool, flatten the cakes by cutting off the tops, and then scoop out a little crevice in each cake.

Once the condensed milk is boiled to caramel, allow it to cool and then either spoon or pipe into the cake crevices. Then pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.

Then give to the object of your affection and enjoy the rewards (in my house, that means lovely David swoons over the cupcake and then dutifully does the washing up... of which there is A LOT)

Oh, and P.S, there will CERTAINLY be a lot of off cuts and plenty of extra icing so be sure to save the crumbs to have as "the cook's share" x