Black velvet baby cakes

• softened butter100g g

  plus extra for greasing

• light brown soft sugar↗175g g
• egg↗1
• self-raising flour↗100g g
• ground almonds↗50g g
• bicarbonate of soda↗½ tsp ½ tsp
• cocoa↗5 tbsp tbsp

  plus a little extra for decorating

• Irish stout↗150ml ml
• double cream↗200ml ml
• icing sugar↗25g g
• splash champagne

  (optional)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the bases of 6 dariole moulds with baking parchment. Put the butter, sugar, egg, flour, ground almonds, bicarbonate, cocoa and stout in a mixing bowl. Beat together until lump-free. Divide between the tins then bake for 20-25 mins until risen and a skewer poked in comes out clean. Cool for 15 mins, then remove from tins and cool completely – the same way up they baked, don’t turn upside-down.

2. 2

   Whip cream with the icing sugar and splash of Champagne, if using, until thick. Spoon a dollop onto the top of each cake and dust with a touch of cocoa. Serve with glasses of Champagne or Black Velvets for pudding.