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A good cupcake recipe should be simple to follow but satisfying to make, with the classic vanilla cupcake a great place for beginners to start. It’s light, fluffy and endlessly adaptable – a blank canvas for your decorating ideas. Here, we’ve selected six of our best cupcake flavours, featuring all your favourite Nestlé Confectionery treats.
What makes an easy cupcake recipe?
Whether beginners or pros, all bakers know that cupcakes are the easiest way to bake up a storm. With simple pantry staples like flour, sugar, butter, eggs and a touch of vanilla, you can whip up a batch of classic vanilla cupcakes in no time – and then get as creative as you like with the decoration. Pipe on a swirl of whipped cream and top with a strawberry for a take on a mini Victoria Sponge, spread chocolate buttercream over the top, or ice with a layer of Milkybar® cream cheese icing. You could top with Smarties®, chopped Aero®, a KitKat® finger, lemon zest, raspberries or fresh mint leaves – or simply leave the icing off and dust with a little icing sugar. Cupcakes can do it all.
Whether beginners or pros, all bakers know that cupcakes are the easiest way to bake up a storm
Easy cupcake recipes
There are many types of cupcakes, and we’ve rounded up six just for you. We’ve got everything from Aero® and Milkybar®-infused treats to Smarties® and KitKat®-studded goodies.
1. Smarties® Mini Vanilla Cupcakes
Easy cupcake recipes don’t get much simpler than our Smarties® Mini Vanilla Cupcakes. The base is a classic vanilla-infused sponge cake that’s as tasty as it is versatile. No mini cupcake tray? No problem – simply double the recipe and make regular-sized cupcakes instead – you can store the extras for another day. Topped with a chocolate whipped cream and colourful Smarties®, these bite-sized treats are great for kids’ parties. Add a sprinkle of edible glitter for extra sparkle or slices of strawberry for a fruity flair. Whatever your taste, these cupcakes are guaranteed to delight!
2. Aero® Chocolate Cupcakes
Our Aero® Chocolate Cupcakes are rich and decadent yet surprisingly easy to make. The secret ingredient is Carnation® Condensed Milk, which gives the cupcakes a fudgy richness, while a blend of cocoa powder and Aero® Melts bring the smooth chocolate flavour. The icing also features condensed milk and cocoa powder, with a few drops of vanilla extract for balance and roundness. If you have any bubbly chocolate fans in your family, this is the recipe to win them over!
If traybakes take your fancy more than cupcakes, our Best Chocolate Brownie Recipes might be just what you’re looking for.
3. Carrot Cupcakes with Milkybar® Cream Cheese Icing
Carrot cakes are delicious, but making a full-size cake can be intimidating for a new baker. Will it rise evenly? Will you ice it neatly? Instead, keep things simple and tasty with our mini Carrot Cakes with Milkybar® Cream Cheese Icing. Grated carrots add moisture and a lovely natural sweetness to the sponge that complements the cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and walnuts. The cream cheese and Milkybar® icing adds a creamy sweetness that ties all the flavours together.
4. Smarties® Buttons Cupcakes
For a colourful twist on a traditional vanilla cupcake, try our rainbow Smarties® Buttons Cupcakes. Don’t let the fancy look fool you – the icing is surprisingly simple and perfect for parties, or a colourful treat for afternoon tea! This is an easy cupcake recipe for kids to help you with, but take the lead when it comes to the icing. Even natural food colouring can stain little fingers and clothing – and keep a grown-up eye on the amounts of topping used. Pipe your rainbow cupcakes in gorgeous swirls and top with white Smarties® Buttons for even more colour, crunch and chocolatey flavour.
5. Milkybar® Golden Seashell Madeleines
In a collaboration with Jessie Bakes Cakes, we bring you a seaside-themed twist on the humble madeleine with these Milkybar® Golden Seashell Madeleines! Infused with the delicate flavour of vanilla, these light and fluffy shells are part-dipped in melted Milkybar® chocolate and dusted with crushed pistachios. They’re elegant, fun and look very impressive, despite being easy to make. Serve them at a mermaid or pirate party, or take them on a beach picnic with the kids as a special treat. Just remember, madeleines need a special shell-shaped tin, so make sure you have one before baking.
6. KitKat® Bunny Carrot Cupcakes
Hop into the spirit of Easter with these cute KitKat® Bunny Carrot Cupcakes! The fluffy sponge is packed with a zesty mix of carrots, orange zest, ground ginger and cinnamon. The cream cheese icing is coloured green and piped to create a grassy home for our crunchy KitKat® Bunnies. Each cupcake is finished with a mini fondant carrot. With a playful look and rich flavour, they’re a great addition for the grown-ups in your Easter celebrations.
If you’re here for the cream cheese desserts, our Easy Cheesecake Recipes that Anyone Can Bake has more fun ideas for you to try.
Let’s bake
Whatever the occasion, we’ve got a Nestlé Confectionery-inspired easy cupcake recipe for you. From playful designs to delicious flavours, our cupcakes make life a little sweeter, one bite at a time.
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Questions?
It’s tempting to be generous with the mixture, but you should always fill your cupcake cases three-quarters of the way full. This gives them the space they need to expand in the oven as they rise.
Yes, paper and silicone cupcake cases can safely go into the oven.
Most cupcake recipes recommend baking at 180°C for an even bake.
If your oven is too hot, the outside of the cupcakes will cook faster than the inside. As the cake cooks, it forms a crust, and when the cake continues to rise after the crust has already set due to the high temperature, the cupcakes crack.
You can, but for the best results, store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them tender and fresh.
There are endless cupcake flavours to choose from, with new varieties being created in kitchens and bakeries all the time. The most popular existing types of cupcake are vanilla, chocolate, carrot cake, red velvet, Victoria sponge, salted caramel and lemon drizzle flavours.
Fairy cakes are smaller than cupcakes – halfway between a mini cupcake and a regular-sized cupcake. – and were the mainstay of parties until the American-style cupcakes took prominence in the early 2000s. Unlike cupcakes, fairy cakes often feature drizzles of icing and sprinkles instead of huge swirls of buttercream piled up on top. A classic fairy cake decoration is the butterfly cake, where a shallow scoop of cake is taken out of the top and cut in half. The hole is filled with a small swirl of buttercream, and the two cake pieces are arranged like butterfly wings on either side.
