Easter chocolate cupcakes

Measure out all of your ingredients.

Pre-heat the oven to 350F (180C).

Line the muffin tin with cupcake papers.

Sift the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Combine the butter, oil and cocoa powder with water in a medium saucepan. Heat gently over a medium heat while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the butter has melted. Do not let mixture boil.

Once the butter has melted, pour mixture over dry ingredients and mix well with a spoon. Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and stir gently until just incorporated. Do not overmix as the cupcakes will be tough.

Use a small pouring jug to pour equal portions of the batter into each prepared cupcake paper -- pour mixture to just under the rim of the paper.

Bake cupcakes for 10-12 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Transfer cupcakes out the the muffin tin and onto a cooling rack.

You can either let the cupcakes cool while you make icing or you can refrigerate them for two day or freeze for one month.

Making the icing by melting the chocolate in a clean, heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, or using a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy.

Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy or for about two minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract and add the chocolate and beat on low speed until fully incorporated. Allow icing to cool and harden just a little.

Ice the cupcakes. Hold the cooled cupcakes by the bottom and gently dip the top of each one into the cooled icing. Alternatively, use a small knife or back of a spoon to spread the icing on.

Serve immediately.