Chocolate Butterfly Cakes

Prepared: 2004-02-28

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup soft margarine
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 1 1/4 cups self-rising flour
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 1 oz / 25 g semisweet chocolate, melted
  
  lemon butter cream
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• grated rind of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preparation:

• place 12 individual paper cases in a shallow muffin pan
• place all of the ingredients for the cakes, except for the melted chocolate, in a large mixing bowl, and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is just smooth
• beat in the melted chocolate, stirring until well blended
• spoon equal amounts of the mixture into each paper case, filling them three-quarters full
• bake in a preheated oven, 350 F / 180 C, for 15 minutes or until springy to the touch
• transfer the chocolate cakes to a wire rack and let them cool completely
• meanwhile, make the lemon butter cream
• place the butter in a mixing bowl and beat until fluffy, then gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar
• beat in the lemon rind and gradually add the lemon juice, beating well
• when cold, cut the top off each cake using a serrated knife
• cut each cake top in half
• spread or pipe the butter cream over the cut surface of each cake top and push the 2 cut pieces of cake top into the frosting to form wings
• sprinkle with confectioners' sugar