Black Forest Gateau Two Ways

My husband's favorite dessert is black forest gateau. The only problem is that black forest gateau tends to only come in huge portions, namely an entire cake, and since (save for Cadbury Caramel Dairymilk) I am not a chocolate fan, it's a pretty daunting task trying to eat an entire cake on one's own. Not to mention it's not the most healthy dessert option.

With that the case, I'm always on the look out for black forest gateau things for him. That's how this entry was born. The idea for black forest gateau cupcakes came from passing a shelf of box cupcake kits and the brownie idea was borne from that. According to him, both of these are very close to an actual black forest gateau cake, but, he says, the brownies hold the trump card!

groceries...

For the brownies:Brownies made using your favorite brownie recipe (Sorry, mine's top secret!)
Dark chocolate chips
Candied cherries, cut into halves or quarters
Dried Bing cherries, cut into pieces

For the cupcakes:Devil's food cake mix
140g/5oz butter, softened
280g/10oz confectioner's sugar
1 1/2tbsp whole milk
Few drops cherry flavoring
Dark chocolate shavings
Candied cherries, whole

alright, let's cook:

For the brownies, whip them up as you normally would. Add the dark chocolate chips and various cherry bits to the batter. Spoon into your trusted brownie pan and bake until desired doneness. Be advised, that adding all these goodies to the batter may alter the cooking time, so check them. That's it! There's not much visual evidence of these brownies being any different, true, but it's there where it counts: in the taste!

For the cupcakes, make your cake base following the instructions on your packet.

For the buttercream icing, cream the butter until soft. Add half of the sugar and continue to whisk until smooth. Add the flavoring and the remaining sugar, beat until smooth. If the mixture is too thick add the milk.