Kids in the Kitchen – Mars Bar Cupcakes (And a Great Giveaway!)
Thank you everyone for all of your wonderful comments and your enthusiasm for this wonderful giveaway. Unfortunately there can only be one winner. Congratulations to young Zachary, age 4 whose name has been selected randomly. An email is on its way to you.
The lovely people at Kambrook gave me – and a hundred other bloggers – a wonderful Angel Cakes cupcake maker last week and I could not wait to try it. Part of their Little Chefs range, it comes with a lovely set of recipes included in the instruction book but I was shocked - shocked I tell you – to see there were no recipes for chocolate cupcakes.
Now really, what is the point of being a kid of you can’t get messy while you’re making cupcakes with melted chocolate? What is the point of having a wonderful cupcake maker if you can’t smear it with chocolatey finger prints? What is the point of even being a kid if you can’t lick the bowl out after you finish cooking?
As you can tell, I’m a great fan of kids getting a bit messy and mucking about in the kitchen. Why? Because you’re having fun. You’re enjoying yourselves so much you might even want to come back and try it again. You might even eat up the lovely food you make (which strangely enough makes your Mum and Dad really pleased).
So – back to chocolate cupcakes. Here is a recipe using Mars bars, which you push down into the cakes so they melt as the cupcakes cook and stay gooey when you bite into them. Yum. If you are feeling very clever you can make a very simple icing using a microwave oven that will make your cakes look like a million dollars. Don’t worry if it seems too tricky to do the icing because the cupcakes are pretty good just as they are.
I have an awesome Kambrook Angel Cakes cupcake maker to give away to one lucky boy or girl. It comes with two recipe books including one all about cupcakes from the Australian Women’s Weekly – and luckily they have some great recipes for chocolate cupcakes.
To enter, leave your comment below. Terms and conditions of the competition are listed right at the end of this post, under the recipe. Good luck!
Makes 10 cupcakes or 20 mini cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
125g caster sugar; 100g butter, softened and cut into cubes; 1 tsp baking powder, sifted; 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract; 150g plain flour, sifted well; ½ cup milk; 1 tsp white vinegar; 30g dark chocolate; cut into squares; 2 x 50g mars bars
Chocolate Icing (Ganache): ¼ cup cream; 50g dark chocolate, extra; 1 tbsp icing mixture; 1 x 50g mars bar, extra
METHOD
Put the softened butter and caster sugar in a large bowl. Use electric beaters to beat it all together until it is creamy and almost white in colour. Add the egg and vanilla to the mixture and beat it in until it’s all combined.
Sift the flour into the mixture then pour the milk and vinegar over the flour and beat it all together.
Put the chocolate squares into a small bowl and heat it in the microwave for one minute. Stir it with a spoon until it is melted and glossy, then pour it into the cake mixture. Beat it to combine.
If you are using an Angel Cakes cupcake maker: Heat the cupcake maker until the green light comes on. Line the pans with small paper cases if you have them. (It makes them easier to get the cupcakes out when they’re cooked) Place one tablespoon of the mixture into each cup.
Cut up two Mars bar into one centimetre cubes (about the size of your little finger nail). Push one piece of mars bar into the middle of the cakes. Close the lid and cook for eight minutes – don’t open the lid while they’re cooking!
Open the lid and get an adult to help you tip them out or scoop them out with a spatula. Cool on a cake rack. Repeat with the remaining mixture until you’ve made 21 mini cupcakes. Lick out the bowl when you’ve finished. You’ve earnt it.
If you are using an oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C or 160°C fan-forced. Line a 12-cup cupcake tray (½ cup capacity) with paper cases.
Spoon two tablespoons of mixture into the cases. Cut up two Mars bars into one centimetre cubes (about the size of your little finger nail). Place one or two pieces of Mars bar into the middle of each cupcake. Lick out the bowl when you’ve used up all the mixture. You’ve earnt it.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the cakes are cooked and soft and spring back when you press them in the middle. Cool on a cake rack.
Chocolate Icing (Ganache): Put the chocolate squares and cream in a small bowl and heat in a microwave for one minute on High. Stir with a wooden spoon then cook for 30 seconds at a time, stirring well until the mixture is thick and glossy and shiny. Add the sifted icing mixture and stir well to combine. Cool for ten minutes before you use it.
Use a teaspoon to heap the icing onto each cupcake and to make pretty swirls in the icing. Cut up the last Mars bar into even squares and push a piece of mars bar onto the top of each cupcake.
Store in an airtight container for up to four days in the fridge. Enjoy!
COST
$6.00 for 20 mini cupcakes or 10-12 large cupcakes
We have a Kambrook Angel Cakes cupcake maker and recipe book package to give away to one lucky winner, valued at $45.00.
To enter, use your first name only and leave a comment below and tell us what you love to cook, or like to help your Mum and Dad cook.
Open to all children up to the age of 13. Please use your Mum or Dad’s (or Grandparents) email address to show you have their permission to enter. Open to Australian residents only. You can comment as much as you want but your name will only go into the draw once.
Winners will be selected at random, like a lucky dip.
Entries close at 7pm AEST Friday 3rd August 2012. The winner will be notified by email.
Hi my name is Aiden i love baking cakes with my mum we do this 1 or 2 times a week
Thanks Aiden and good luck!
Dylan – love helping my mum with her lasagne. It is the best ever. She keeps it simple as me and my sister don’t like it otherwise. I would love to win this so I can spend more time with her doing something fun
Good luck Dylan!
I love to cook anything that my kids will actually eat
I like to help my Mum make choc chip cookies. Mum has a hard time stopping me from eating the cookie dough.
Posted by Mum on my behalf as I’m 8 and don’t have a Facebook account.
Hi Tabitha. Thank you for replying and I just wanted to say it’s great if Mum or Dad help their children enter the comp.
Im Toby and I’m nearly 4 & I help mum make our pizza dough every Friday night. I think it’s better than playing with play dough!!
I bet it tastes better too. Thanks Toby!
My sister and brother and I love to help mummy make cupcakes! They are our favorite to make we like putting chocolate chips in them and eating them when they are still warm yum! We sometimes fight over who gets the spoon and the bowl to lick after! It’s dads favorite too we have to fight him off too! We would love this prize ! Thank you Jessica aged 9
What a lovely reply. Good luck Jessica.
It was my 4th birthday this month and I had a lot of fun making cupcakes for my party with my Mummy and Daddy but my little sister is still too small because cakes are not for babies.
I’m glad you like making cupcakes Charlie, enjoy them before your sister grows up and starts eating them all.
My name is Sarah. I am turning 3 in October & I love cooking banana piklets with mummy. My baby brother & I eat them almost every week!
Banana pikelets are the best. Except for blueberry pikelets. Or strawberry ones…
I’m a grown up and I love anything cake-y. Big or little, I love to bake and eat cakes!!
My name is Oliver and I am 11 months old. My mum is practising to make me a special birthday cake for my birthday in a month. I like to lick the spoon and it goes all over my face.
Darling Oliver, on behalf of Mums everywhere, don’t ever grow up.
Our names are Ebony and Bree and our favourite thing to make in the kitchen with mum is Rainbow Cupcakes. We take them to school to share with our class on our birthdays and our friends love them.
Ooooh rainbow cupcakes are always a favourite with teachers and friends.
Hi my name is David and I like helping mum cook pancakes on a sunday morning, would love to learn how to make cupcakes
I like making pancakes for Sunday breakfast as well David. Glad you love them!
Hello my name is Joe and I am 5 yo I love baking with my Grandma and I am staying with her for a few days .I like making anzacs choc chip cookies and all sorts of cakes . This weekend we are making a chocolate cake for my uncles birthday tomorrow and we will be making cup cakes too. I like cracking the eggs adding the flour and sugar and putting the batter in the tins or cupcake papers,and I also like to put the biscuit dough on the trays too.Grandma lets me ice and decorate as well and I am becoming really good at everything,soon I’ll be doing it all on my own.I love baking and I really love eating what we have made.
Hello Joe, it sounds like you’re well on your way to being a great cook. Everything tastes good when it’s with your Grandma.
Hello my name is Nicholas I am 5 years old. I love baking with mum especially when we make cakes and muffins for me for school and for daddy for his snack. I especially like liking the spoon and even the muffins when they are in the muffin tray when mum isnt looking – shhhh our secret!!
Heehee – I promise I won’t tell ANYONE Nicholas.
My name is Aleta, I am 7 years old and I think the kitchen is the most fun place to be (much better than school!). I love making pikelets because I make them into all sorts of different shapes and I think Mars Bar Slice is awesome because it is so easy to make and tastes great!
Oooooh, Mars bar Slice! My son got hooked on cooking when he made a Mars Bar Slice at school. That’s how he knew he wanted to be a chef. Thank you Aleta.
Hi my name is Tayla and I’m 5. I reeeaallyy love making cupcakes with mum. We do lots of fun rainbow colours but my favourite part is the decorating with coloured icing and lots of lollies on top. Mum says I’m her favourite masterchef.
Icing and decorating cakes is always the best part I think. Good luck in the giveaway Tayla.
Hi there Sandra, my name is Charlotte and I love making cakes and biscuits with Mummy- we give some to my teacher who is nice and the rest I share with my 2 little sisters who make a big mess!
We all take turns licking all the spoons clean and enjoy it when Mummy cuts of the extra bits so we can eat the leftovers!
I love looking at Mummy’s books and telling her what I’d love for my birthday. I’ve just had a Mickey Mouse party last month with a chocolate Mickey cake.
I love watching Masterchef and when Im 8 I want to go on Junior Masterchef!
My very favourite flavour of cake is chocolate, my favourite biscuits are heart shapes, and I want to tell you that you can make some yummy things
Hello Charlotte and thank you for a lovely comment. I hope that you keep cooking delicious goodies. It sounds to me as if you’re a wonderful junior masterchef already.
xxxx thanks heaps xxx
I am 11 years old and for my 11th birthday my Mum said that every month till my 12th birthday she would teach me to make one new thing and then I will know how to make 12 things. I know about tacos and french toast and schnitzel and making sandwiches and scrambled eggs. I could learn to make cupcakes now too. I am using my mum’s account right now. It would be good to win.
What a wonderful birthday present your Mum gave you. You already know how to make a lot of things that some adults don’t know. I hope you enjoy cooking for a long time to come.
I love making chocolate crackles as they are easy and fun to do and taste yummy. Iam 12 years old but will be 13 next month
Do you know, I have a grown up friend who wanted a chocolate crackle cake for her wedding. Chocolate crackles never go out of style.
My name is Evie, i’m only 4 but i love cooking with my mummy. My favourite is kangaroo cupcakes (butterfly cakes except the ‘ears’ stick up!)
Ooooh, Kangaroo cupcakes sound wonderful, Evie. I bet they ‘hop’ out of the kicthen very quickly.
Hi, my name is Jayden, I am 9, and I have just started helping mum in the kitchen. Tacos or spaghetti bolognaise are what I like helping mum with most.
Hello Jayden, thank you for entering. Tacos are always great fun to make and really messy to eat. Or, maybe that’s just me. I’m sure you don’t make a mess at all.
Cupcakes with sprinkles. Jette 5 years.
Cupcakes with sprinkles are the best. The BEST.
My name is Harry and I love baking cupcakes with my Mummy (especially licking the spoon) and making homemade pizza and pasta with my Daddy. I have a baby brother coming any day now, and this cupcake maker would make it easier for my Mummy to keep cooking with me.
Hello Harry, goodness me, how clever you are to make your own pasta. I hope you will be a tremendous help to mummy when she has her baby.
Connor and I love to help mum make chicken kievs for dinner. I also love making spaghetti bolognese on my own. I am good at it too.
Ooooh that sounds very clever, making chicken kievs. Well done!
Hi my name is Kayleigh and my sister and brothers like our mum to bake every week, our favourite food, chocolate chip cookies which we eat really quickly so every two days mum has to make some more. We would really like the cupcake maker because then we could have yummy cakes as well
I think you should do a deal with your Mum. Your cupcakes for her choc chip cookies. What do you think about that?
I love making bread with Nan. It takes ages but is soooooo much fun
P.S I put my name but Mums email OK.
Bread making is great fun, I’m glad you like it Ernie.
I’m Zachary and I’m nearly 5. I love making chocolate cupcakes with Mummy, they are my favourite! (Posted with help from Zachary’s Mummy’s WP account)
Hello Zachary. Another chocolate cupcake lover! I’m so glad I’m not the only one. Good luck.
Im Amelia, I have coeliac disease and I love cooking with my Nan, she lets me make anything out of her recipe books and we change the flours so i can eat it
Hello Amelia, I’m glad you like making tasty food you can eat. It’s very important to always try to do this, even if it’s sometimes hard. Good luck.
My slaves sisters like to help Mummy cook bolognaise sauce for me
(and I like to supervise from my high chair)
Supervising is the best job in the world. But of course, you know this.
Hi Sandra, my name is Deanna and my mum makes the best brownies, but i want to make delicious and best cupcakes, thank you.
Hello Deanna, thank you for your comment and good luck in the competition.
I love to make finger paint, play dough and cakes in the kitchen with my mum. We make something new every week.
Play dough is a wonderful thihng to make in the kitchen, I’m glad you like making it Charley.
I’m Madison and I am 2.5. I help Mummy make sausage rolls and cupcakes mostly. I like to stir the cupcake mix up but Mummy says I make a lot of mess. But that’s ok, I’m only little once and I’m learning
Hello Madison, whatever you do, stay messy.
My name is Amber, I’m 7 and I like to help my mum make crumbed chicken, cakes and cupcakes
Even now Amber my daughter still loves crumbing chicken. She’s fantastic at it. Good luck.
My name is Priya, I’m 5. Last Easter my mum made Hot (some) Cross (some) Happy Buns! Some even had a cinnamon butter filling in them! I was really impressed and want her to make them again. She says “next Easter”; but at least she makes us lots of muffins and cookies to take to school. (posted by Mum on Priya’s behalf).
Thank you Priya. I hope one day she shows you how to make them so you can cook them whenever you want.
Hello Mrs Reynolds – I would love to win the cupcake maker as I could make “surprise” cupcakes for my family when its their birthday and I could make some for recess for my sister and I. I’ve just turned 9 and my sister is 12. She just had her birthday and I helped Mummy make her birthday dinner. My mum loves reading your blog. Take care and thanks – Cheers Darcy
Goodness what beautiful manners you have Darcy. Making surprise goodies for birthday prsents is one of my favourite things to do. I’m glad you love making them.
Hi my name is Keeley and I like to cook because it’s fun and creative. My favourite thing to cook is desserts and sweet things.
Thanks.
My name is Grady and I like to cook because you get to learn new things and try out new recipes. My favourite thing to cook is my house-famous chocolate cupcakes with the secret ingredient (pumpkin!!).
Thank you
My name is Lachlan I love making banana and choc chip muffins with my Mummy.
My name is Molly and I like decorating biscuits with smarties and sprinkles!
My name is Robert and I am 5. I like making cakes and biscuits with mum. I never used to like licking the bowl but now I LOVE it so mum has to watch I don’t eat too much raw mixture.
These cupcakes look great and we cant wait to make them with our Mummy. Chocolate cupcakes are our favourite. Thomas and Dylan
Catherine (11)
my aunty taught me to make scones and they rock! I like them with cream and jam but mum likes hers with cheese.
Yasmine (13) I have recently chosen to become a vegetarian, so my mum and I are having fun learning lots of vegetarian recipes to try and make sure have a balanced diet as unfortunately I have a low iron level. Reall interesting finding out which foods are high in all the different vitamins and minerals.