Name: Purple velvet cupcakes with blackberry frosting
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: Makes 12
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 300g blackberries plus 12 extra for decoration; 100g butter; 100g milk chocolate broken into chunks; 225g self-raising flour; 175g golden caster sugar; 2 tbsp cocoa powder; 2 large eggs beaten; a little red or purple artificial food colouring; 100g unsalted butter at room temperature; 400g icing sugar sifted; 1 tsp vanilla extract

Purple velvet cupcakes with blackberry frosting

300g blackberries
plus 12 extra for decoration
100g butter
100g milk chocolate
broken into chunks
225g self-raising flour
175g golden caster sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 large eggs
beaten
a little red or purple artificial food colouring

For the icing

100g unsalted butter
at room temperature

For the icing

400g icing sugar
sifted

For the icing

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

step 1
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Roughly crush half the blackberries with a fork so the juice is running but there are still some chunky bits. Gently melt the butter and chocolate in a saucepan. Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl. Put the kettle on.
step 2
Scrape the butter-chocolate mixture and eggs into the dry ingredients with the crushed blackberries and 100ml boiling water. Mix together until smooth, then add a little food colouring to boost the red/purple hue. Divide between the muffin cases and bake for 15 mins until risen and a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean. Lift from the tin onto a wire rack and cool completely.
step 3
Whizz the remaining 150g blackberries to a purée. Beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla together until really pale and fluffy – about 5 mins. Sieve the remaining blackberry purée and gently fold into the icing. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with your favourite nozzle and pipe a generous amount onto each cupcake – removing the paper case first if you want to show the colour of the sponge. Top each with a fresh blackberry and enjoy.