Birthday Brownie Cupcakes

Makes 8

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

6 ounces/170 g good quality dark chocolate (60% to 70% cacao), chopped
6 tablespoons/160 g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon/21 g Lyle's Golden Syrup or light corn syrup
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup/160 g granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup/75 g all purpose flour
1 teaspoon/about 5 g baking powder
2/3 cup/80 g coarsely chopped walnuts

For the frosting:

4 ounces/120 g cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup/115 g Lyle's Golden Syrup or light corn syrup
4 ounces/120 g good quality dark chocolate (60% cacao), chopped
8 small fresh strawberries

Method:

To make the cupcakes:

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line 8 standard cupcake molds with foil cupcake liners. Combine the chocolate and butter in a bowl and place the bowl over a small pot of boiling water.

Stir constantly until the chocolate and butter melt and the mixture is smooth. Slowly add the syrup and salt, and continue to stir to blend well. Remove the bowl of chocolate mixture from over the boiling water and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and eggs in a bowl for 2 minutes or until the mixture is thick and light. Stir in the chocolate mixture. Add the flour and baking powder and stir just until blended, then stir in the walnuts.

Divide the batter equally among the prepared cupcake molds. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the cupcakes puff and crack on top and a skewer inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out with fudgy crumbs attached.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool completely on a cooling rack.

To frost the cupcakes:

Using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until light and smooth. Beat in the syrup. Place the chocolate in another bowl and place the bowl over a small pot of boiling water. Stir constantly until the chocolate melts.

Add the melted chocolate to the cream cheese mixture and beat just until blended, stopping the machine and scraping the bottom of the bowl to ensure the mixture is well blended. Spread the frosting generously over the top of the cooled cupcakes.  Garnish with fresh strawberries and serve.