Ingredients (makes 16 cupcakes)

• 250g chocolate (half milk half dark)
• 250g butter
• 1 tsp instant coffee
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups caster sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Method

1. Place 250g chocolate, butter, coffee and water in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. When chocolate and butter have melted, remove mixture from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm/room temperature.
2. Add the caster sugar to the bowl with the flour mixture, and whisk the ingredients together until well combined.
3. In a medium bowl, place eggs, oil, vanilla and buttermilk. Whisk the wet ingredients together until well combined.
4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well combined.
5. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg and flour mixture in a three batches, stirring until combined after each addition.
6. Pour into cupcake cases, filling 3/4 of the case. The amount you make will depend on the size of your cases.
7. Place into an oven heated to 160 degrees (or 150 fan forced) Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Again cooking time will vary depending on the size of your cupcakes.
8. I made these cupcakes for father's day and filled them with different flavours: Black Forest, Caramel and Chocolate Ganache.
9. To make Black Forest: Cut the top off the cupcake and using a spoon scoop a little out of the middle of the cake. Fill with a little cherry jam and a pitted cherry. Replace the top. Fill a piping bag with whipped cream to one side of the bag and chocolate icing to the other. This can be a little fiddly but the effect is worth it. Pipe onto the cupcake and top with another pitted cherry.
10. To make the Caramel cupcake. Cut the top off the cupcake and using a spoon scoop a little out of the middle of the cake. Fill with caramel. (I made my own using brown sugar, cream and butter, but top and fill or dulce de leche would be fine) replace the top. Fill a piping bag with caramel icing (I combined my left over caramel with whipped cream and a little caramel essence) and pipe onto the cupcakes.
11. To make the Chocolate Ganache cupcakes; Cut the top off the cupcake and using a spoon scoop a little out of the middle of the cake. Fill with chocolate ganache (this is a even combination of cream and chocolate heated to combine). Replace the top. Fill a piping bag with chocolate icing (I used a buttercream combined with my remaining ganache) and pipe onto the cupcakes.

Notes

I used this mud cake recipe to make my wedding cake. It's my all time favourtie!