I am so surprised i haven’t blogged a Nigella recipe yet. She is my idol and why i got into baking in the first place. Ever since we subscribed to Foxtel i became hooked to the food channel and that is where i first realised how awesome she is. I had always known and heard how great Nigella is but it’s not until you actually see her at work that you realise she’s got that something extra special.

I came across this recipe on her website and decided to try it since i had a jar of morello cherries sitting in the cupboard. Unfortunately i couldn’t get hold of the morello cherry jam but i did have raspberry jam and it seemed to do the trick.

These cupcakes are deliciously yummy. The cupcake itself is soft and spongey and the dark rich icing gives it the a little oompf.

Nigellas Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

Nigella’s Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

For the cupcakes

• 125 grams soft unsalted butter
• 100 grams dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 300 grams morello cherry jam
• 150 grams caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 150 grams self-raising flour

For the icing

• 100 grams dark chocolate
• 100 ml double cream
• 12 natural glace cherries (i used morello cherries)

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C
2. Put the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan on the heat to melt. When nearly completely melted, stir in the chocolate. Leave for a moment to begin softening, then take the pan off the heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the butter and chocolate are smooth and melted
3. Add cherry jam, sugar, salt and eggs
4. Stir with a wooden spoon and when all is pretty well amalgamated, stir in the flour
5. Scrape and pour into the muffin papers in their tin and bake for 25 minutes
6. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before turning out
7. When the cupcakes are cool, break the chocolate for the icing into little pieces and add them to the cream in the saucepan
8. Bring to the boil, remove from heat and then whisk by hand or electrically till thick and smooth
9. Ice the cupcakes, smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon
10. Stand a cherry in the centre of each

Recipe from Nigella’s website