Skinny Chocolate Party Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for my Dad's birthday and they were the perfect party cupcake; an ode to your youth with the lolly decorations and fairy floss icing. Dad commented they complemented his second birthday gift superbly - a bottle of grandfather port. The carnival-like icing on these cakes is probably one of the best icings I have ever made, it is dangerously irresistible. 


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1-1/2 cups sifted self-raising gluten-free flour 
• 1/2 cup of Natvia sweetener 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 80 grams of organic butter, at room temperature
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup of low-fat soy milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Icing:

• Chocolate-flavoured fairy floss (I buy the Persian brand)
• 125 grams of organic butter, at room temperature
• Your choice of lollies - I used star-shaped freckles, jelly beans and sprinkles

Directions:

In a small measuring cup, combine cocoa and boiling water. Whisk and blend until smooth, and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and Natvia together. Pour in the flour, baking soda and salt. combine flour, Splenda, baking soda and salt. Mix together until the mixture is crumbly. 

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, cocoa mixture and vanilla. Add 1/3 of this wet mixture to the mixer bowl. Beat on low speed until every thing is combined, then increase to medium speed and beat for an additional 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl, and add another 1/3 of the wet mixture to the mixer bowl. Repeat, until all of the wet mixture has been added and the batter is smooth.

Using a large spoon, scoop the batter into the cupcake tin, which you may like to line with your choice of patty cake wrappers. 

Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the pan onto a wire rack, and let them cool completely.

While waiting for your cupcake to cool, make the icing by electric mixing together the butter and half a packet of the fairy floss. You may like to add more fairy floss if you want to enhance the flavour - but it is very very sweet!! Ice your cakes once they are cool and top with lollies to decorate.