Ingredients (makes 12 )

• 150g self-raising flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 45g desiccated coconut
• 30g cacao powder
• 150g butter, melted
• 125ml coconut cream
• 2 eggs
• 4 x 52g pcs Cadbury Cherry Ripe, chopped into 1cm pieces
• 12 mini strawberry filled Oreos OR ordinary oreos if strawberry is unavailable
• 3 x 52g pcs Cadbury Cherry Ripe, extra, cut into hearts (using a cookie cutter)
• Freeze-dried strawberries, crushed
• chocolate ganache
• 300g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 125ml thickened cream
• 2 tbs thickened cream, extra
• buttercream
• 375g butter, at room temperature
• 450g icing sugar mixture
• 1 tbs milk
• 100g dark chocolate, melted, cooled
• 2 drops red food colour

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Line 12 muffin pans with paper cases .
2. Combine the flour, sugar, coconut and cacao in a bowl. Make a well in the centre of the mixture. Add the melted butter, coconut cream and eggs. Use a balloon whisk to whisk until well combined. Stir in the chopped Cherry Ripe. Spoon into the cases. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer/cake tester inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan for 10 mins to cool slightly before transferring to a wire crack to cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, for the chocolate ganache, place the dark chocolate and thickened cream in a heatproof bowl. Microwave on High, stirring every minute, for 2 mins or until melted and smooth. Set aside, stirring occasionally, for 20 mins or until the mixture thickens slightly.
4. Reserve 1/2 cup of the ganache in a separate bowl. Carefully spread the remaining ganache over the top of each cake. Set the cakes aside to set slightly.
5. To make the buttercream, use electric beaters to beat the butter in a bowl until softened. Gradually add the icing sugar, beating until pale and creamy. Add milk and beat until well combined. Transfer half the buttercream to a separate bowl. Add the melted chocolate to one portion and beat until well combined. Add red food colouring to the remaining buttercream portion and mix until well combined.
6. Place the chocolate buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a 1.5 cm fluted nozzle OR if no piping bag is owned simply fill a plastic clip lock bag with buttercream and snip of one corner of the bag. Pipe onto the ganache-topped cakes.
7. Place the pink buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a 1.5 cm fluted nozzle. Pipe a swirl on top of the chocolate buttercream.
8. Combine the extra cream and reserved ganache. Melt in the microwave on High for 10 seconds or until runny. Add to a piping bag or sealable plastic bag. Set aside for 10 mins to cool slightly. Top cupcakes with Cherry Ripe Hearts and Oreos. Snip the end of the piping bag and drizzle ganache over top of cakes. Sprinkle with crushed strawberry .

Notes

Fresh cherries may be used for decoration and the pink heart used in the photo was cut with a heart cookie cutter from the middle of Strawberry Oreo's.