Buttercream Chrysanthemum Flower Chocolate Cookiedough Cupcake

Spring has to be one of my favourite times of year, mainly because of the flowers and weather. I'm pretty sure all the film in my 35mm camera is full of daffodils and pretty flowers! 

So today, I thought I'd make a cupcake inspired by one of my favourite flowers - a Chrysanthemum. It's surprisingly simple and tastes incredible - believe me, they were all eaten within a couple of days! They made all my family laugh and say 'Diet??... What diet?'

 

Chrysanthemum - link source

 On to the recipe: 

Chocolate and cookie dough cupcake -
100g self-raising flour
20g coca powder (Bourneville) 
150g caster sugar 
1tsp baking powder
50g butter
120ml milk (preferably whole milk)
1 egg
1tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cookie dough / spread
Icing: 
100g icing sugar
50g butter
Milk (to alter the consistency) 
Pink food colouring (preferably gel) 

1. Preheat the oven to 170C(325F)Gas 3
2. Mix the flour ,cocoa powder,sugar,baking powder,salt and butter in large mixing bowl until there is a sandy texture
3. Whisk the milk,egg,and vanilla extract together in a jug ,then slowly pour in gradually whilst mixing.
4. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full, spoon a small 1cm ball of the cookie dough and place in the middle of the cupcake.
5.  Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes,or until the sponge bounces back when touched.
6. Leave on a wrack to cool
7.  Whisk the butter and icing sugar until it is smooth and a light colour - this will make your coloured buttercream
8. Place the buttercream into 3 separate bowls and place the pink food colouring into each, each having slightly more than the bowl before - so there are 3 different shades of pink. 
9. Using a Wilton petal shaped nozzle (link) place it into the piping bag, starting with the darkest shade of pink - pull the icing from the inside to the out of the cupcake case. Repeat with all three colours until you reach the middle of the cupcake - for a more detailed video explanation watch this... it's incredible! - link

There you have it, a delicious flower buttercream cupcake, perfect for spring. Enjoy xxx