chocolate cherry mud

      If you’ve never tried a mud cake, treat yourself to this one! Mud cakes are very rich, sweet, dense in texture and utterly divine. The subtle addition of cherry brandy makes this one for adults only! Best eaten within two weeks.

       you will need

       425g/15oz tin stoneless black cherries in syrup

       330g/111/2oz unsalted butter

       200g/7oz dark chocolate

       600g/21oz caster sugar

       120ml/4fl oz cherry brandy

       300g/101/2oz plain flour, sifted

       75g/3oz self-raising flour, sifted

       75g/3oz cocoa powder, sifted

       3 large eggs

      1 Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F/Gas 3.

      2 Line the trays with cupcake cases.

      3 Drain the cherries, reserving the syrup. Add water to syrup to make 250ml/9fl oz of liquid. Process or finely chop the cherries.

      4 Place the cherries, syrup, butter, chocolate, sugar and brandy into a pan, and warm over a low heat until the chocolate and butter have melted. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature – you don’t want the eggs to start cooking when they go in the mixture.

      5 Whisk in the flours, cocoa and then the eggs.

      6 Pour or pipe the mixture into the cupcake cases until they are about three quarters full.

      7 Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a fine skewer inserted into the centre of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.

      8 Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.