Juliet Sear's chocolate piñata cupcakes

Whether you've still got some little people to amuse on half term or you just fancy a sweet treat, Juliet Sear is here with her perfect piñata cake.

I love this sponge recipe – it’s rich and soft, unlike some recipes that can be very dry. The secret to a great chocolate cake is to slightly underbake it.

Serves: make approximately 16 cupcakes

Ingredients

Stuff you’ll need

175 g (6 oz/1 cup) plain chocolate chips (70 per cent cocoa solids)200 g (7 oz/1 cup) light muscovado sugar175 g (6 oz/1 ½ sticks) soft, salted butter, plus extra for greasing3 medium eggs and 2 egg yolks100 g (3 ½ oz/1/3 cup) sour cream1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract150 g (5 oz/1 ¼ cups) self-raising flour2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF/Gas 4)

Method

Place the chocolate, sugar and butter in a heatproof bowl. Put in the microwave at medium heat for 1 minute intervals, stirring at each interval, until all melted together. Alternatively, melt in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Do not allow the bowl to touch the water. Allow to cool slightly.

Whisk the eggs, sour cream and vanilla together. Mix together the flour and cocoa powder with a whisk to combine.

Add the egg mixture to the melted chocolate mix and stir well.

Fold in the flour and cocoa. Spoon into cupcake cases to just over half to 2/3 full.

Bake for 15–20 minutes until just firm. The knife should come out slightly sticky (but not wet) when it’s cooked – not clean, as you’d expect from a vanilla sponge. Leave to cool in the muffin tray. Once cooled, remove a core from the centre of the cakes, saving the piece you've removed. Stuff full with your favourite sweets until almost to the top, then cut the top from the core of the cupcake and pop that back onto the cake to conceal the surprise centre.

Decorate the top with buttercream of your choice, and enjoy!