Birthday chocolate cupcakes - Easy peasy parties

I came across these cupcakes in Easy Food a while back and have made them a few times since. Providing you have all the ingredients to hand they couldnt be simpler. The first time I made them was for a 21st where they had to be hidden in a press so the birthday girl could get one as they were eaten so fast. Since then I decided that making them as mini-muffins would be better and made them for my birthday. All 45 or so were iced with 30's and hearts (by a kind icing friend who realised it would be wrong for me to make and ice my own birthday cakes).

The good thing about mini muffins is that people dont feel near as guilty about eating them - at my birthday party they were gone before I had a chance to grab one.

I had cause again to make them this week for my dancing class friends as it was my last class before finishing up to go to Ballymaloe and theres a fairly good chance I will bring them out again for my last day at work in a few weeks time.

Chocolate mini muffins (makes 45ish)

• 100g chocolate chips (I went for 40% cocoa content)
• 200g self-raising flour
• 200g light muscavado sugar
• 6 tablespoons cocoa
• 150ml sunflower oil
• 100ml sour cream
• 100ml water
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing

• 120g chocolate
• 100ml sour cream
• 1 tablespoon light muscavado sugar

This couldnt be easier - put all the muffin ingredients apart from the chocolate chips in a big bowl and whisk until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips and divide between the mini muffin cases (best to oil these with some oil spray or sunflower oil first).

Place in an oven pre-heated to 180c for 15 minutes. Take out and cool before icing

To make the icing heat the chocolate, sour cream and sugar slowly in a saucepan until melted. Chill until firm enough to put on the mini muffins.