A light and fluffy vanilla cupcake, filled with smarties and topped with a creamy vanilla buttercream frosting. These piñata cupcakes are fun, delicious and the perfect surprise for your next special event!
The best part about these cupcakes is the element of surprise. A hidden stash of treats in the middle of the cakes make these the perfect birthday party treat. The base of these cakes is my classic vanilla cupcake. Made with vanilla paste, this is one of my quickest and simplest recipes. There are two different methods that you a use here to make the make. You can either use the all-in-one method, in which you add of the cake ingredients together and mix until well combined. Or, you can choose to add your ingredients in different steps. Piñata Piñata Piñata Piñata Piñata Piñata
If you are choosing this step, start by creaming the butter and sugar together until smooth, this should only take a few minutes. Next, add the remaining ingredients and mix until everything is well combined.
As always, I recommend that you use vanilla paste over extract. It has a thicker consistency, so doesn’t add too much liquid to the batter. It also has a more natural vanilla taste. I find the liquid extract can have quite an artificial flavour, which can completely change the taste of the cake.
Piñata
Whilst waiting for the cakes to cool you can start to make the icing. I used a basic buttercream base to top this. Cream butter until smooth, then add the icing sugar in two batches. When you have a thick mixture, stir in your vanilla paste, and mix everything together. You cannot overmix this icing, so make sure that it is well combined and that the frosting is nice and smooth. This icing should still be able to hold its own shape, making it pipeable, if you wish.
Once the cakes have cooked and completely cooled down, use a sharp knife cut out a ‘well’ in the centre of the cake as if you’re making a butterfly cake. Discard (or eat!) the dome that you have removed from the cake as you won’t be needing this anymore. This hole is where you add the sweets. I have chosen to use Smarties, but any sweets can be used here. I find Smarties a good option as they have a nice crusty shell that holds its shape. The chocolate from the Smarties also goes perfectly with the simple vanilla cake.
The best part about these cakes is the shock when someone bites into one of these cupcakes and the treats inside spill out. These cupcakes are best eaten fresh on the same day as making, any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place for a few days.
Ingredients
- CAKE:
- 115 g / 4 oz Butter
- 85 g / 3 oz Sugar
- 115 g / 4 oz Self-Raising Flour
- 2 Eggs
- ¼ Teaspoon Vanilla Paste
- 8 teaspoons Smarties
- ICING:
- 90 g / 3 oz Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 170 g / 6 oz Icing Sugar
- 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Paste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180*c/350*f/Gas Mark 4/160*c Fan Oven.
- Line a cupcake tin with cases and set aside.
- Place the margarine and sugar into a bowl and using an electric mixer beat together until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, self-raising flour and milk to the mixture, blending until fully combined.
- Stir through the vanilla paste and spoon the mixture into your prepared tin.
- Cook for 16 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and light and fluffy. You can tell the cakes are ready when they spring back when lightly pressed. You could also insert a skewer into the middle of one of the cakes and if it comes out clean, then the cakes are ready.
- Once ready, remove from the oven.
- Allow the cakes to sit in the tin for roughly 5 minutes, then place on a wired rack to cool. Whilst waiting, start to make the icing.
- Add the butter to a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, blend until creamy.
- Add half of the sieved icing sugar to the bowl and using a spoon, gently stir together until just combined (this helps to prevent an icing sugar explosion!), before mixing with the electric mixer.
- Add the remaining icing sugar and follow the steps above, do not be afraid to overmix, you want this to be nice and smooth.
- Add the vanilla paste and blend until fully combined and the icing can hold it's own shape.
- Now the cakes have cooled, start to prepare the middle. using a sharp knife, cut a 'well' out of the centre of the cake, as if you were making a butterfly cake. Discard (or eat!) the dome of cake that you've just cut out as you won't be needing it anymore.
- Add a teaspoon of Smarties to the centre of each cake, filling the hole that you've just made (see picture), ensuring that it does not overflow and is flush with the top of the cake.
- You can either pipe the icing on top of the cake, or place a tablespoon of icing on each cake and use a butter knife or palette knife to 'smear' the icing on each cake. Placing this directly on top of the Smarties.
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