Maltesers Cupcakes

I wanted to make something different for the latest cake sale in my youngest daughter's school. So I went hunting for a recipe of Maltesers cupcake. There were quite a number in the internet and I chose Amy Jones' of She Cooks She Eats food blog. Thanks Amy for this scrumptious cupcake. I just tweaked it a little here and there to fit our taste. But for a first time bake it was fabulous! It would have been better if I had the proper piping nozzle for the icing. As you can see, I smeared it on using only a spoon which isn't so bad though it could have looked as good as Amy's.

Maltesers Cupcakes

175 g  butter - softened
175 g  caster sugar
175 g  self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 medium eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp Ovaltine or Horlicks
2 Tbsp milk

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F. Grease or line muffin pans.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and Ovaltine in a bowl.
3. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
5. Add vanilla, mix well.
6. Add in the flour mixture - beat just enough to make batter smooth.
7. Divide batter among the prepared muffin tins filling them up to 2/3 full.
8. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until a skewer poked in the middle comes out clean.
9. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
10. Decorate cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Icing and top with a Maltesers each.

Milk Chocolate Icing

100 g  milk chocolate
125 g  butter - softened
200-300 g  icing sugar (about 1 1/2 - 2 cups) - sifted
2-3 Tbsp cocoa powder (optional) - sifted
2-3 Tbsp milk
bag of Maltesers

1. Very gently melt the milk chocolate on a double boiler. Watch carefully, if you see that the chocolate is getting lumpy at the bottom remove from double boiler and stir like crazy to keep it melted and not clumpy.
2. Leave to cool slightly.
3. Beat the butter until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the icing sugar in batches beating well after each addition.
5. Pour in the melted chocolate and cocoa (if using), beat and mix well.
6. Beat in milk adding just enough to make the icing smooth.