Baking for Beginners: Lemon and chocolate truffle cupcakes

These cupcakes are somewhat inspired by Pinterest. This cupcake with a gooey white chocolate truffle centre was pinned all over the place. It looks amazing but I couldn't help thinking that cake with chocolate truffle in the middle and white chocolate frosting would be too sweet and cause early onset diabetes after one bite. The truffle middle was something I still really wanted to play about with so instead I made lemon cakes. They're a little sharper and refreshing enough to offset the happy chocolate gooeyness.

I used Lindt truffles, which I'm certain are are packed with crack and happiness. I didn't use the dark ones - I don't think they'd work well with the lemon. But, the chocolate, hazelnut and white chocolate all work brilliantly and you could try other flavours. I'm thinking cherry and dark chocolate, perhaps? Sort of a black forest thing. Not until I've tidied up, though. I've got melted chocolate everywhere.

Makes 12.

You'll need:

• 4oz unsalted butter, softened
• 4oz caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 40z self raising flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• zest of a lemon
• Lindt chocolate truffles

For the frosting:

• 4oz unsalted butter
• 6oz icing sugar
• zest and juice of a lemon

Bake it!

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/ gas mark 4 and pop some cake cases in a muffin tray. Asda are doing some excellent silver and black ones. They're like the glam rock of cupcake cases.
• Cream the butter and sugar together, until they're light and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs (best to do this one at a time).
• Sift in the flour and baking powder and add the lemon zest.
• Pop your mix in the cases and place your tray in the oven for about twenty minutes.
• Once the cupcakes are done, cut a little square out of the middle of them and squish in a chocolate truffle, then pop the lid back on The heat of the cake will melt the truffle, leaving you with a gooey middle. Don't worry that they look a bit crap, you're going to put frosting on the top, no one will ever know.
• Beat the ingredients for your frosting together, but let the cakes cool completely before decorating. Otherwise you'll end up with a pool of frosting and chocolate everywhere.
• Decorate your cakes with the frosting and share with people wearing white shirts.