FOREST FLOOR CUPCAKES: A PLANET FRIENDLY BOOK RECIPE

FOR THE MERINGUE MUSHROOMS

2 egg whites

120g caster sugar

½ tsp cream of tartar

40g dark chocolate

2 tsp cocoa powder

FOR THE CUPCAKES

90g butter, softened

150g caster sugar

2 eggs

130g organic plain flour

30g cocoa powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp baking powder

60ml milk

FOR THE FROSTING

100g butter, softened

100g icing sugar

30g cocoa powder

2 tbsp milk

2 tbsp pistachios, finely chopped

YOU WILL NEED

Piping bag

12 cupcake cases

Start by making the meringue mushrooms. Preheat the oven to 120°c/100°c fan/gas 1 and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

In a clean bowl, using an electric whisk, beat the egg whites for 3 to 4 minutes until they form stiff peaks.

Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously between additions. Rub a little meringue between your fingers to ensure no grains of sugar remain. Once smooth, whisk in the cream of tartar.

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and cut 1 cm off the tip of the bag. Pipe 36 rounds, in varying sizes, and an equal number of ‘stalks.’ Use a wet finger to flatten any peaks.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour. The meringues are ready when they peel off the paper easily. Leave to cool completely for 1 hour.

Once the meringues are cool, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until melted.

Remove from the heat and carefully dip each stalk into the chocolate before sticking it to the base of a mushroom cap.

Dust the tops with a little cocoa powder and leave in a cool place until you’re ready to decorate your cupcakes.

Preheat the oven to 180°c/160°c fan/gas 4 and line a muffin tray with 12 cupcake cases.

In a mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer or wooden spoon, beat the butter and sugar until it is smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and mix until combined.

Add the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. Mix everything together, adding the milk a little at a time, until you have a smooth batter. Evenly divide the mixture between the cupcake cases.

Place the tray in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a cocktail stick poked into the centre of a cake comes out clean. Remove them from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Beat the butter until very soft, then add the icing sugar and cocoa powder and mix. Add the milk, a little at a time, until the frosting is soft and spreadable.

Using a teaspoon, evenly spread the chocolate frosting over the surface of each cupcake. Add a few mushrooms to the cakes and finish with a sprinkling of finely chopped pistachios.

TIPS:

Save your egg yolks to make the cherry curd from the Cherry and Almond Viennese Whirls.