Neapolitan cupcakes

These easy chocolate chip, vanilla and pale pink buttercream cupcakes mimic Neapolitan ice cream and are perfect for a little treat at a picnic

  • Prep:20 mins
    Cook:25 mins
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 295
  • fat 12g
  • saturates 7g
  • carbs 43g
  • sugars 34g
  • fibre 1g
  • protein 2g
  • salt 0.2g

Ingredients

  • 140g caster sugar
  • 40g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • 120g plain flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 120ml milk
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 50g chocolate chips
  • 250g icing sugar
  • 100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • red food colouring

Method

  1. Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Line a cupcake tin with cases. Cream the sugar with the butter using an electric whisk, until light and fluffy. Crack in the egg and add the vanilla extract, then whisk to combine. Add half the flour, the baking powder and a pinch of salt, whisk to combine, then add half the milk and whisk briefly again. Repeat to use the remaining flour and milk.

  2. Spoon about half the mixture into a separate bowl, add the cocoa and chocolate chips and stir well to combine.

  3. Using a teaspoon, divide the chocolate mixture between the 12 cupcake cases. Use a wooden skewer to spread the mixture evenly to the edges. Rinse and dry the teaspoon then repeat with the vanilla layer, taking care not to disturb the chocolate below and spreading to the edges again.

  4. Bake for 25 mins. Leave to cool slightly in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

  5. To make the frosting, sift the icing sugar, then combine with the butter using an electric whisk. It will look crumbly initially – persevere and it will come together. Carefully add 1-2 drops of the food colouring and combine to make a pale pink frosting to ice the cakes. When you cut them in half, the coloured layers will be revealed.

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