Really good chocolate patty cakes

Firstly, apologies for the quality of the pics - it was late. But I had to share. Here they are, already in the tupperware, ready to be frozen for school lunches (and to keep them safe from me).

I've made a lot of cakes in my time, but these choc cupcakes are REALLY yummy.Verging on 'melt-in-your-mouth' when eaten warm from the oven. Just ask my husband.

They're from this book (another late-at-night photo, sorry) -

I've made lots of lovely cakes from this book actually (vanilla, hummingbird, carrot, lumberjack, zucchini) and it was the book that really gave me the 'secrets' to a great cupcake, including beating the butter for a few minutes before adding the sugar. Of course that means that we have a lot more noisy beater time now, but ah, they're so much better. Of course, the decoration in the book was a lot prettier than my 'school lunch' version. But Masterchef was on and I had places to go, people to see.

Here's the recipe. They say it makes 24. I say it makes 24 big cupcakes and about 36 mini ones from the one batch.

Chocolate Birthday Cakes - keeps 2 days, freezes 2 months

• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 tsps bicarb
• 1 tsp baking powder (I only had SR flour tonight, so I replaced these first 3 ingredients with that and it worked fine)
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp instant coffee granules (I'll probably only add 2 next time, but the kids are still liking 3)
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 cup cocoa
• 1 cup cold water
• 200g softened unsalted butter
• 2.5 cups caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla

Method (my words)

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Put out patty papers.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coffee, hot water and cocoa until smooth. Then add the cold water and whisk again.
4. In another bowl cream the butter for 1-2 mins. Add the sugar 1/3 at a time, beating for 2 mins after each addition and then beating until sugar has almost dissolved. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 min after each addition or until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and beat again!
5. Add flour and cocoa mix alternately, about 1/3 at a time, beating on low until thoroughly combined. Don't overbeat though, or they'll be tough.
6. Spoon into papers. If you don't want them to crack on top, wait 20 mins before baking. Cracking doesn't bother me, so I just went straight ahead and baked them for about 20 mins (less for the mini size). Cool on wire rack before icing.

I did a simple cocoa/icing sugar/butter/milk  icing and added sprinkles.

Love them. And the kids are stoked. We've got enough for a few weeks. Very happy. Do try them.