Primrose Bakery triple chocolate cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 170ºC (fan) /190ºC / 375ºF /gas mark 5.

Line either a muffin tin (for regular-sized cupcakes) or a mini cupcake tin with cupcake cases.

Melt the chocolate then leave to cool slightly.

Cream the butter and sugar together using an electric hand beater until pale and smooth. In a separate bowl and with clean beaters beat the egg yolks for several mins. Slowly add the egg yolks to the creamed butter and sugar and beat well. Next, add the chocolate to this mixture and beat well.

Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Combine the milk and vanilla in a jug. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate, butter and sugar, alternating with the milk and vanilla. Beat very well after each addition.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks start to form. Carefully fold the eggs whites into the main batter using a metal spoon. Do not beat or you will take all the air out of the cake.

Spoon the mixture out equally into the tins depending on the preferred size. You do not need to fill the cases with mixture, about two-thirds full will work best as the cakes will rise considerably in the oven. The batter will be of a fairly liquid consistency so take care when spooning out as it can end up being very messy! You could even use a jug to pour the batter into the cupcake cases if it gets too difficult to spoon.

Place the trays in the oven and bake for between 20-25 mins for the regular size cupcakes or approx 15 mins for the mini cupcakes. Leave in their tins for 10 mins or so before placing on a wire rack to cool.

Heat the double cream and butter over a very low heat in a saucepan. Stir the mixture continuously and do not let it come to the boil as it will burn. As soon as the butter is completely melted, remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Let the chocolate melt in the pan, which may take up to 10 mins, during which time you should keep stirring the mixture. If there is any chocolate that has not melted, carefully return the pan to a low heat and let it melt. Add the vanilla extract and stir again.

If the icing is too runny, let it sit at room temperature for a while before using and then beat again just before you are ready to use. Any unused icing should be stored in a container in the fridge.

To assemble: Ice each cupcake with a good spoonful of the milk chocolate icing and decorate how you like! You can pipe sugar paste icing onto the cupcakes to write any messages you like. You could also decorate your cupcakes with vampire fangs and a few drops of red food colouring directly onto the icing to resemble blood.