Chocolate Covered Custard Cream Cupcakes

These Chocolate Covered Custard Cream Cupcakes are inspired by the incredible biscuits from M&S! A great twist on a custard cream, chocolate cupcake filled with a custard cream, topped with custard buttercream, a custard cream biscuit and drizzled with melted chocolate.

WHAT ARE CHOCOLATE COVERED CUSTARD CREAMS?

Chocolate covered custard creams are a revelation, let me tell you! Truth be told, custard creams are probably somewhere near the bottom of my biscuit hierarchy. I just never got the fuss, why have a custard cream when you can have a bourbon? Then boom, Marks & Spencer came out with a game changer, the Chocolate Covered Custard Cream!! I was slow on the uptake but after hearing the whole of the country gush about them, I thought i’d pick up a pack with my next shop. Consider me converted! But, if you need more convincing, this is from the horses mouth…. ‘Our Outrageously Chocolatey Milk Chocolate Coated Custard Creams are more chocolate than biscuit. An indulgent twist on a classic, each one combines two crunchy biscuits, sandwiched with a sweet vanilla cream filling and generously coated in a thick layer of milk chocolate.’ Just go and buy a pack!

HERE’S WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO NEED:

• Unsalted Butter – Unsalted butter is exactly that, butter with no added salt. Using unsalted butter in your baking as you can always add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavours but you’re not in control of the content if you used salted butter. Always best to stick with unsalted.
• Caster Sugar – Caster sugar is a finely ground granulated sugar which is often used in baking. The finer grains allow to dissolve quicker when creaming your sugars and fats. Normal granulated sugar will result in a grainy texture.
• Eggs – Always large, always free range.
• Self Raising Flour – Self Raising Flour is a flour with added leavening agent which gives our cakes a bit of a rise.
• Baking Powder – Baking powder is a raising agent that is commonly used in cake-making. The powder is activated when liquid is added, producing carbon dioxide and forming bubbles that cause the mixture to expand.
• Cocoa Powder – Use the best quality you can afford.
• Custard Powder – Custard powder is pretty much just vanilla flavoured cornflower with added colour. It’ll give the cupcakes a delicious custard flavour..
• Vanilla Extract – Always use a pure vanilla extract which can be found inexpensively in most supermarkets, there’s nothing worse than vanilla essence. Yuck!
• Store Bought Frosting – My one naughty treat! Store bought frosting, when mixed with custard powder tastes exactly the same as the filling in a custard cream! If you don’t want to buy store bought you can just make extra frosting the thin it down with more milk.
• Icing Sugar – Also called confectioners sugar. Icing sugar is a super, super fine sugar which dissolves quickly giving a light and fluffy texture.
• Milk – Always try to use whole milk in baking, the extra fat adds moisture to the finished result.
• Custard Creams – Custard Creams are a type of sandwich biscuit filled with a creamy, custard center which are extremely popular in the UK. They’re delicious and well worth hunting out.

TIPS FOR MAKING CHOCOLATE COVERED CUSTARD CREAM CUPCAKES:

• What kind of butter shall I use? – Always start with room temperature butter. It’s much quicker and easier to cream with the sugar and will give a much better texture to the finished cupcake.
• Can I use granulated sugar instead of caster? – No, caster sugar is a super finely ground sugar so it dissolves into your butter quickly. Using granulated will result in an off-putting texture in the finished bake.
• Can I top these with the M&S chocolate custard creams? – Yes of course, I didn’t because every time I buy a packet they disappear instantly!
• Can I use plain flour? – Yes, just add an extra teaspoon of baking powder to the flour.
• Can I make these gluten free? – Yes, you can use a gluten free flour blend, my favourite is Doves. Make sure to use gluten free custard creams.
• Can I use a baking spread in place of butter? – Yes, I often use Stork brand baking spread in baking and I think it’s fabulous.
• Can I freeze this recipe? – Yes, place the un iced cupcakes on a baking tray and pop in the freezer till frozen solid. They can then be wrapped in a double layer of cling film or placed in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 3 months.
• Do you have a recipe for normal custard cream cupcakes? – Why yes I do, Custard Cream Cupcakes

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