So this is very much a US style cupcake. It’s rich with chocolate, peanut butter, oh, and bacon.

Prep

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Put 12 large muffin cases into the holes of a muffin tin.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa into a large bowl.
3. Cut the cold butter into very small bits. Drop it into the bowl. Rub everything together very lightly using your fingertips until the mix is incorporated and it looks like fine dry sand.
4. Add the sugar.
5. Beat the eggs, vanilla salt, extract and milk together. Pour it into the dry mix. Stir together very lightly using a fork until just mixed. Don’t beat it or over-mix.
6. Spoon/divide the mix between the cases. They should be about ¾ full.

Cook

1. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cakes are risen and springy to the touch. If you’re not sure they’re done, push a cocktail stick/skewer or even a strand of uncooked spaghetti into the centre. If it comes out dry, they’re done. Remove the tin and cakes. Sit them on a rack to cool.

Ice & Decorate

1. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa together into a bowl.
2. Drop butter and peanut butter into a second bowl. Beat to soften with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the icing sugar/cocoa mix gradually, beating well as you go and adding the milk or warm water
4. water as you need to get a lovely creamy icing which will pipe or spread easily.
5. Add the vanilla extract.Spoon into an icing bag fitted with a star nozzle (mine was 1 cm wide). Pipe wide swirls to cover each cake or pile and shape it. Top with a heart sweetie or two.
6. If using bacon, grill the rashers 2 minutes per side or until crisp. Sit on kitchen paper to drain. Break into ‘wafer’ lengths. Stick them into your icing just before serving.