Smarties cupcakes
Smarties cupcakes are a classic childhood bake. They’re an easy chocolate cupcake with a simple chocolate and Smartie decoration on top so perfect if you’re looking for a bite of nostalgia with your cup of tea.
Smarties cupcakes are a classic bake that remind me of my childhood. A simple chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate and a Smartie they’re so simple to make but full of nostalgia. The chocolate topping unlike traditional cupcakes with buttercream frosting also gives them a lovely bite of texture.
Best of all when you’re baking with kids is that these are really really easy to make and they don’t need any special equipment like mixers. So if you’re new to baking these are a great place to start.
How can kids help to make Smarties cupcakes?
Cupcakes are generally a great easy bake for kids to do and these are no exception. There are lots of steps for them to get involved in including helping to measure everything out and then mixing it all together.
Once you’ve made the batter, get your kids to help spoon it into your cupcake cases before baking it.
Your kids can also help to decorate these cupcakes. They’re a bit simpler than normal cupcakes to decorate as there’s no piping involved. Your kids just need to help melt the chocolate before spreading it on top then adding the Smartie. It couldn’t be easier.
How long do Smarties cupcakes keep?
These cupcakes will keep in an airtight container for a few days. If you want to keep them for longer you can also freeze them before you add the chocolate topping. Simply wrap them well in cling film or glad wrap and pop them in a freezer bag. They’ll keep in the freezer for a few months. Allow them to defrost fully before adding the chocolate and Smarties decoration.
What can I use instead of self raising flour?
Self raising flour should be easy to find in the supermarket here in the UK, but if you don’t have any you can swap it for an equal amount of plain or all-purpose flour and add a xxx of baking powder and a generous pinch of salt.
What is baking spread?
Baking spread or margarine is a non dairy butter substitute.
What chocolate should I use?
Make sure you use a plain chocolate for these cupcakes, not milk chocolate. Use the best one you can get as it’ll make a difference to the end cupcake. You can check the cocoa content of the chocolate – the higher the %, the more bitter and less sweet it will be (which is a good thing in the case of these), but at try and find one that is at least 80% cocoa.
Similar recipes
If you and your kids love making cupcakes or other chocolatey bakes, check out some of our other easy recipes below:
Chocolate chip cupcakes
Nutella cupcakes
Funfetti cupcakes
Chocolate fudge cupcakes
Vanilla cupcakes
Rainbow cupcakes
Monster cupcakes
Chocolate butterfly cakes
Chocolate caramel cupcakes
Chocolate fudge cake
Chocolate Victoria sponge
Chocolate chip fudge
Chocolate tiffin
Chocolate brownies
Chocolate loaf cake
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these chocolate Smarties cupcakes
Muffin tin
Cupcake cases
Digital scales
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Spatula
Icecream scoop
Wire rack
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Ingredients
For the chocolate cupcakes
100ml boiling water
150g (2/3 cup) butter / baking spread
200g (1 cup) plain chocolate
200g (1 cup) soft brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g (1 1/2 cups) self raising flour
For the topping
300g (1 3/4 cup) milk chocolate
Smarties
* If you don’t have any self raising flour, swap it for an equal amount of plain or all-purpose flour and add 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder.
How to make Smarties cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 180C / 170C Fan / 350F and line a muffin tin with paper or silicon cupcake cases.
Melt the butter, chocolate, sugar and water
Get your kids to measure out the butter or baking spread if you’re using it, plain chocolate and sugar. Cut the butter into a few smaller pieces and break the chocolate up before adding them to a small pan, along with the boiling water.
Gently heat it all together until it has melted. If your kids are old enough to be trusted around a hot pan on the cooker, they can help stir this all in until it is nice and smooth. Set it aside to cool.
Whisk the eggs and vanilla
Crack the eggs into a small bowl. If any shell goes in, which it often can if kids are in charge simply fish it with a larger piece of shell or a teaspoon. It will stick to either of those much more easily than it will your finger (and be a lot less messy!).
Add the vanilla extract to the mixing bowl. If you have very young children, you might need to hold the teaspoon steady while they pour the vanilla in or vice versa.
Get your kids to whisk it together with a fork or small whisk.
Add the whisked egg to the cooled chocolate mixture and stir it in.
Measure the flour
Get your kids to measure the flour out and then add it to a large mixing bowl. Pour the melted chocolate/egg mixture into the bowl.
Carefully, mix it all together with wooden spoons or a spatula until it has come together and there are no visible bits of flour showing.
This is a much runnier cake batter than a lot of our cupcake recipes but don’t worry, they are supposed to be like that and it is what makes the cupcakes so moist and delicious.
Bake the chocolate fudge cupcakes
Get your kids to divide the chocolate cupcake batter among your cupcake cases. Make sure they spread it evenly so each case is about ¾ full. We find using a soup spoon or ice cream scoop makes this job a bit easier and less messy.
Bake the cupcakes in the oven for around 20 minutes. They’re ready when they’ve risen and cocktail stick or skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.
Remove them from the oven and leave them to cool in the tin for a few minutes before taking them out and putting them on a wire rack to cool completely. If the cupcakes are quite domed, once they’ve cooled slightly you can press them down gently with your hand to flatten them. This will help to give them their traditional flat top.
Decorate the cupcakes
Get your kids to weigh the chocolate and add it to a heat proof bowl. Set it over a pan of simmering water (a double boiler or baine marie), and melt it slowly until it is nice and smooth. Stir it to help it melt and make sure it doesn’t burn.
Spoon some melted chocolate onto the top of each cooled cupcake, then finally, decorate each one with a chocolate Smartie before the chocolate sets. If your kids are too young to do the chocolate topping, being in charge of Smarties is a good job for them to do.
Leave the cupcake topping to set, serve and enjoy.
Smarties cupcakes
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 170C Fan / 350F and line a muffin tin with paper or silicon cupcake cases.
- Measure out the butter or baking spread if you're using it, plain chocolate and sugar. Cut the butter into a few smaller pieces and break the chocolate up before adding them to a small pan, along with the boiling water.
- Gently heat it all together until it has melted. Set it aside to cool.
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl. Add the vanilla extract to the bowl. Whisk it together with a fork or small whisk.
- Add the whisked egg to the cooled chocolate mixture and stir it in.
- Measure the flour out and then add it to a large mixing bowl. Pour the melted chocolate/egg mixture into the bowl.Carefully, mix it all together with wooden spoons or a spatula until it has come together and there are no visible bits of flour showing.
- Divide the chocolate cupcake batter among your cupcake cases. Make sure you spread it evenly so each case is about ¾ full.
- Bake the cupcakes in the oven for around 20 minutes. They’re ready when they’ve risen and cocktail stick or skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.
- Remove them from the oven and leave them to cool in the tin for a few minutes before taking them out and putting them on a wire rack to cool completely. If the cupcakes are quite domed, once they've cooled slightly you can press them down gently with your hand to flatten them to give them their traditional flat top.
- Weigh the chocolate and add it to a heat proof bowl. Set it over a pan of simmering water (a double boiler or baine marie), and melt it slowly until it is nice and smooth. Stir it to help it melt and make sure it doesn't burn.
- Spoon some melted chocolate onto the top of each cooled cupcake, then finally, decorate each one with a chocolate Smartie before the chocolate sets. Leave the cupcake topping to set, serve and enjoy.
Notes
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Similar recipes
If you liked these chocolate Smarties cupcakes, you’ll love our other easy cupcake recipes as well as our favourite easy bakes for kids.
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