Easy Mary Berry chocolate cupcakes

Name: Easy Mary Berry chocolate cupcakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 3 eggs; 175 g butter or margarine; 165 g golden caster sugar; 115 g self raising flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 4 tbsp boiling water; 40 g cocoa powder; 60 g butter (unsalted); 30 g cocoa powder; 250 g icing sugar; 3 tbsp milk

These easy chocolate cupcakes from Mary Berry are the perfect bake for kids to try. They’re light, and fluffy with some delicious chocolate buttercream on top, but best of all really easy to make.

These really easy chocolate cupcakes, are based on a recipe from Mary Berry. With some delicious chocolate buttercream on top they are perfect for any child who wants to do some simple chocolatey baking.

My kids love making cupcakes and these chocolate cupcakes are one of their favourite bakes.

We’ve tried a few different chocolate cupcake recipes but I love this one based on a recipe from Mary Berry (with a few tweaks). They’re lovely and light, fluffy and moist. I find some chocolate cupcakes can be too dry, but not these.

These chocolate cupcakes are the perfect simple bake for cake sales, children’s birthday parties or any celebration.

Do you have to use chocolate buttercream?

No. We used a chocolate butter icing to decorate our cupcakes because my youngest was in charge and he loves chocolate!

I don’t think the chocolate icing plus this chocolate cupcakes was too chocolatey but if you prefer you can add a simple buttercream.

To make a plain butter icing, simply omit the cocoa powder and start by adding 2 tbsp of milk rather than 3. Once you’ve mixed the icing together, if you feel it is too thick and could do with a little loosening up add a little more milk.

How can kids help make these easy Mary Berry chocolate cupcakes?

I love this recipe as well because it all gets mixed together in one bowl. I find this is the easiest way of baking with children, and tends to be a bit less messy.

It also doesn’t matter what order you add the ingredients to your mixing bowl, which is great if you suddenly realise you’ve forgotten to add something.

Skills your kids get to practice making these chocolate cupcakes include, measuring ingredients, cracking eggs, and mixing everything together.

Best of all, and my kid’s favourite step, is getting to decorate the cupcakes. Piping can be a bit tricky for small hands, so younger children especially, might need a bit of help but it is a fun thing to try.

Even little children who might not manage the piping will enjoy adding some sprinkles on top.

How long do chocolate cupcakes keep?

These cupcakes will keep in an air tight container at room temperature for a few days. If you want to make them ahead, or keep them for longer, you can freeze them (without the chocolate buttercream) for up to a few months. To freeze them, wrap them in cling film /glad wrap and pop them in a freezer bag. Defrost them at room temperature before adding the buttercream and serving them.

Other fun cupcakes for kids

If you and your kids love making cupcakes, check out some of our other easy cupcake recipes below:

Chocolate chip cupcakes
Nutella cupcakes
Funfetti cupcakes
Vanilla cupcakes
Butterfly cupcakes
Orange cupcakes
Strawberry cupcakes
Rainbow cupcakes
Monster cupcakes
Chocolate fudge cupcakes
Chocolate butterfly cakes

Useful equipment

You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these chocolate cupcakes

Muffin tin
Cupcake cases
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Spatula
Icecream scoop
Piping bag
Wire rack

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Ingredients

3 eggs
175g (3/4 cup) butter or margarine
165g (3/4 cup) golden caster sugar
115g (1 cup) self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp boiling water
40g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder

For the chocolate buttercream icing
60g (1/4 cup) butter, unsalted
30g (1/4 cup) cocoa powder
250g (2.5 cups) icing sugar
3 tbsp milk

How to make Mary Berry’s easy chocolate cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 200C / 180C Fan / 390F and get your kids to line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Add everything to a mixing bowl

Get your kids to measure out the measure all the ingredients out and add them to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer.

You can do this in any order but we started with the eggs.

Simply get your kids to crack them into a small bowl before adding them to your mixing bowl. This just makes it easier to fish out any rogue shell. We also have a spare small bowl or the food bin handy to get rid of the egg shell so the kids don’t just leave it on the counter.

Next measure out the flour and sugar and add them to your bowl.

While your kids are doing that, measure the baking powder and add that. If your kids want to do it, make sure they level off the top of the teaspoon with their finger.

Finally, mix up the cocoa powder with the boiling water in a small bowl. (Adding the boiling water is a job for the grown ups). Once it has come together into a paste, add it to your mixing bowl.

Mix everything together

Using a hand held mixer, wooden spoons or the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer, mix everything together until it is well combined and has a nice smooth batter.

Make the cupcakes

Get your kids to spoon the cupcake mixture into the cases. Fill them about ¾ full. If you have an ice-cream scoop, they spoon out the perfect amount so can make life a bit easier (and less messy).

Bake the chocolate cupcakes

Bake the cupcakes for 12-15 minutes. They’re ready when they have risen and look nice and cooked on top. A metal skewer or cocktail stick put in the centre should come out clean.

Remove them from the oven and leave them to cool in the tin for a few minutes before popping them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Decorate the chocolate cupcakes

Make the chocolate buttercream by adding the cocoa powder, butter, icing sugar and a few spoons of milk to a mixing bowl or free-standing mixer.

Mix it together for a minute or two until it is nice and smooth and soft enough to pipe.

Add the butter icing to a piping bag with a large star shaped nozzle.

Get your kids to pipe the icing onto each cupcake. You might need to give them a hand to squeeze it out.

If you don’t have a piping bag, simply smooth on the icing to the top of each cupcake with a small pallette knife or blunt butter knife.

Once you’ve added the icing, get your kids to add some sprinkles or chocolate flakes on top.

Serve and enjoy.