The combination of peanut and chocolate makes for a sweet and salty treat that will tickle your taste buds. 

Serves 12 
Preparation time: 20 mins 
Cooking time: 18 mins

What You’ll Need: 

• 50g cocoa powder
• 200ml boiling hot water
• 125g butter, softened
• 150g caster sugar
• 50g dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large Ella Valentine eggs, room temperature
• 200g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 75g roasted salted peanuts

Chocolate Buttercream

• 120g butter, softened
• 200g icing sugar, sifted
• 50g dark chocolate, melted

What To Do: 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.

1. Stir the hot water with the cocoa until smooth and leave to cool.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add the vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add the flour in one go. Then the cooled cocoa powder. Fold in the peanuts.
5. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 18 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
6. Place on wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Buttercream

1. Cream the butter, gradually add the sugar until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the cooled, melted chocolate and continue creaming until fully combined.
3. Pipe onto the cupcakes using a piping bag and then, garnish with roasted peanuts.

Recipe from www.ellavalentine.co.uk.