Snickers Cupcakes

Today is RSPCA Cupcake day in Australia.

My dog is a pound dog, so this is a cause close to my heart. With alot of effort by the gorgeous Anne, we were able to raise somewhere in the vicinity of $1500. It costs $1 / day to feed a pound dog, so every bit really does count.

I volunteered to make some cupcakes, and these beauties were hands down the most popular!

It is actually a really simple premise, and only marginally fiddly. Make a chocolate cupcake. Ice it with peanut butter icing, add a slice of snickers, and drizzle over some chocolate. Yum!

This recipe says it will yield 18 cupcakes. This is not quite true, but it definitely gives more than 12. I know the mixture is quite runny, so when you fill the patty cases, you may be tempted to pour quite a bit into each case. Don't - these rise quite a bit. A few of mine ran over and fused together (though this is nothing that a serrated knife can't take care of!).

Chocolate Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups plain flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 caster cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk (or milk + a dash of lemon)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line a muffin tins with patty cases. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Try & use a mixing bowl that has a pouring lip.

Mix in eggs, water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until smooth, about 3 minutes. Pour the batter into the cases & bake, until tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20 minutes. You may need to rotate the pans halfway through - just see how they are all cooking, and spin the trays if necessary. Let cool in tins before removing to wire racks.

Peanut Butter Buttercream

1 cup peanut butter (I like to use crunchy)
100g butter, softened
3/4 cup icing sugar (sifted)

Cream peanut butter & butter in a mixer w/ the paddle attachment, on high speed. Reduce the speed to low and add the icing sugar, stirring on low until combined. Once incorporated, increase to high and beat until fluffy & smooth, around 3 minutes. Use immediately.

Melt 100g of chocolate in the microwave in 30 second bursts. It should only take 2. Stir very well in between each burst. Even if there are chunks after the 2nd burst, don't go for a 3rd time. Just stir w/ a teaspoon and the heat of the melted chocolate will melt any remaining bits.

Cut a snickers bar into quarters (length ways, and then in half again). Put a snickers quarter onto the iced cupcake. Use a teaspoon to drizzle chocolate over the snickers & the cupcake. Allow to set.