Chocolate Cherry Coconut Cupcakes

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These exquisite chocolate cupcakes with a cherry coconut centre make us want us to move to the next letter in an alphabetical alliteration attempt so here we go – they’re devilishly delectably downright delightful! Phew!

INGREDIENTS

50g cocoa powder
175g plain flour
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
225g caster sugar
175g unsalted butter, softened
80ml milk
80ml cherry wine or liqueur

For the chocolate sauce:

1 batch of chocolate ganache frosting

For the cherry filling:

1/4 sweetened condensed milk
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup of chopped glacé cherries
2 tbsp cherry essence, wine or liqueur

For the coconut sprinkles:

1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp red food dye

For the chocolate cherry coconut bark:

400g dark cooking chocolate (melted)
Coconut Spinkles
1/2 cup of chopped Glacé cherries

(makes 12)

RECIPE

Preheat your oven to 180C (356F) or 160C (320F) for a fan forced oven.

Add all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and mix on low speed for about 20 seconds before you add your softened butter. Let it mix until it reaches a crumbly, sand like texture.

Add eggs, cherry wine/liqueur and milk into a jug and whisk together well.

Add milk/egg mixture to dry ingredients in a slow steady stream while mixer is on low.

Make sure you scrape down the bowl each time you add an ingredient to make sure everything’s mixing well. Scoop into cupcake pan, filling about 3/4 way. Bake for 20 min. To check if they’re done simply pierce the cupcake with a skewer and if they come out clean they’re done. Once they’re done, let them cool down completely.

To make the cherry filling:

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Cover and set aside.

To make the red coconut sprinkles:

To make coconut sprinkles simply add shredded coconut into a zip lock bag and shake around to coat and color the coconut. Spread out onto a baking tray and bake on a low temp for 10 min or until they appear dryer than when they went in.

To make the Chocolate Cherry Coconut Bark:

To make cherry coconut bark simply melt your chocolate in the microwave for 20seconds at a time, mixing each time until chocolate is smooth.

Line a baking tray with baking paper and use a knife or offset spatula to spread chocolate as thin as you can get it. Sprinkle with chopped glacé cherries and coconut sprinkles. Pop it in the fridge for 20 min to set and harden.

To assemble your cupcakes core them in the centre using an apple corer and fill with cherry coconut mixture. Fit the end of your piping bag with a wilton 6b star tip and frost your cupcakes in a donut swirl as demonstrated in the video.

Top with shards of cherry coconut bark.