Cupcake Couture!

Lily Vanilli, renowned for her cupcake sculptures, has created this deliciously unique frosting for Tate & Lyle using a Divine Dark Chocolate cake base.

The creamy ripe avocados and toasted walnut topping combined with the rich dark chocolate cake creates a gorgeous melt-in-the mouth taste. Avocado replaces butter in this cupcake’s frosting, making it a slightly healthier option.

Here's how to recreate your very own Lily Vanilli couture cupcake creation with Tate & Lyle.

For the cake mixture
2 x 100g Divine dark chocolate
200g unsalted butter, very soft
200g Tate & Lyle Fairtrade caster sugar
4 large free range eggs, at room temperature
100ml sour cream
200g self-raising flour

For the topping
2 cups very ripe avocado flesh (use the ripest you can find before the flesh has turned brown - cut out any brown bits)
1½ cups Tate & Lyle Fairtrade Icing Sugar
1½ tsp lemon juice

12-hole muffin tray lined with paper muffin cases

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4
Break up the chocolate bars and melt gently.

Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool.

Put the butter and sugar into a food mixer and beat until light and creamy.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir in the sour cream on low speed, followed by the flour and finally the melted chocolate, mixing gently until thoroughly combined. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake for 25mins until firm to the touch.

Remove the muffins from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile make the topping: Using a hand mixer, blend the avocado with the lemon juice until you achieve a smooth consistency, working out any lumps.

Slowly blend in the sugar, increasing the speed of the mixer as you go (feel free to add more or less sugar to achieve a consistency & taste you like) Spread over the cooled cakes.

Using a zester, create some dark chocolate shavings and sprinkle some onto the frosting and top with a cooled toasted walnut.