Mini Christmas Chocolate Cakes

1. Grease 8 ramekin dishes (approx 150ml /6cm in diameter) and line the base with a circle baking paper. Place them on a baking tray. Preheat the oven to 180C/160Cfan/gas 4.
2. Put the cocoa powder into a small bowl and mix to a smooth paste with the hot water.
3. Put the butter, eggs, Tate & Lyle Light Brown soft sugar, Lyle’s Golden Syrup, flour and vanilla extract and cocoa paste, beat together until well mixed and smooth. Add the cherries and fold in. Spoon into the ramekin dishes and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until well risen.
4. Leave until cool enough to handle then run a small palette knife around the edge of each cake, turn out and cool completely on a rack. If the cakes have risen into peaks, slice the top level with a serrated knife. Warm the remaining golden syrup and brush the tops of the cakes.
5. To make the butter cream, put the chocolate drops into a large bowl place in the microwave and heat 45 seconds-1 minutes until just melted, stir until smooth. When cool add the rest of the ingredients and beat until light and fluffy.
6. Either spread the butter cream onto the cakes or transfer to a piping bag fitted with a nozzle and pipe a nice swirl on each.