Halloween Black Forest Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a 12 hole cupcake tray with cupcake cases

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt until well combined then leave to one side.

In a separate bowl, whisk together both sugars with the eggs and oil and mix until combined well.

Add half the dry mixture into the wet mixture and fold it together. Add the buttermilk then add the remaining dry mixture and fold through again until just combined. Be careful not to over mix, you only want to mix until you can no longer see any flour bits.

Spoon or pour the mixture to fill the cupcake cases half way. Be careful not to over fill the cases as this could cause them to rise too high and over flow.

Give the cupcake tin a tap on the work surface to remove any big air bubbles then bake in the centre of the oven for 19-21 minutes until well risen and springy to touch. When baked leave the cupcakes to cool in the tins for a few minutes, the remove and leave them to cool on a wire rack.

n a medium bowl, add the mascarpone cheese and beat it with a wooden spoon to soften a little. Add the icing sugar and mix it through!

In a separare bowl, add the double cream, Belvoir Farm cordial and vanilla and whisk together with an electric whisk until it reaches soft but stiff peaks.

Add the mascarpone mixture to the cream mixture and gently fold the two together. Add the vanilla and fold it all together until smooth.

Using a piping nozzle cut out a hole in the centre of each cupcake and fill the centres with a tsp of cherry compote, topping the hole with the piece of cake you cut out.

Fit a piping bag with a round tip piping nozzle and fill it with the mascarpone cream icing. Pipe swirls on top of each cupcake then top with a fresh cherry, some grated or shaved dark chocolate and a drizzle of cherry compote juice.

Serve immediately, or leave in the fridge and remove 10 minutes before serving.