Chocolate-iced Yogurt Cupcakes

These cupcakes are beautifully moist and very addictive. Icing them takes a bit of time, but the finished result looks fantastic.

Makes about 12

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 200g (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
• 120ml (1⁄2 cup) natural (plain) yogurt
• 120g (1 stick) butter, melted
• 300g (21⁄3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 100g (3⁄4 cup) cornflour (cornstarch)
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• Zest of 1⁄2 orange
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g (4oz) dark (semisweet) chocolate, at least 70 per cent cocoa solids, chopped into small pieces
• Icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting
• For the icing
  • 165g (51⁄2oz) white chocolate, chopped into small pieces
  • 375ml (12⁄3 cups) double (heavy) cream
  • Zest of 1⁄2 orange or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. First make the icing. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
2. Put 120ml (1⁄2 cup) of the cream in a second small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and pour the cream into the melted chocolate one-third at a time, stirring briskly after each addition to create a shiny mixture.
3. Pour the remaining cold cream into the chocolate, add your chosen flavouring and stir thoroughly. Cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases (liners).
5. Put the eggs and caster sugar into a large bowl and whisk together until light and fluffy, or until a figure of eight holds its shape on the mixture for a few seconds.
6. Add the yogurt, then the melted butter. Gently fold in the flour, cornflour and baking powder, then add the orange zest, vanilla extract and chocolate pieces.
7. Divide the batter between the paper cases, then dust the top of each with a little icing sugar. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
8. Lightly whisk the chilled icing until smooth and light. Place in a piping (pastry) bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle (tip) and pipe in spirals on top of the cupcakes.

Tips and ideas

• Add berries or other fruits, tossing them in flour before adding them to the cupcake mixture.
• To make dark chocolate icing, use 90g (31⁄2oz) dark (semisweet) chocolate (at least 70 per cent cocoa solids) and 300ml (11⁄3 cups) double (heavy) cream – 100ml (1⁄3 cup) of it hot, and 200ml (1 cup) of it cold, as in step 2.
• To make buttercream icing, beat 200g (13⁄4 sticks) butter with 400g (31⁄4 cups) icing (confectioners’) sugar until light and fluffy. Place
  in a piping (pastry) bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle (tip) and swirl in 4 tbsp ready-made chocolate sauce. Pipe over the cupcakes as above