Mars Bar cupcakes

March 8, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella

I admit I am not over the moon in love with Mars Bars. They always seem too cloyingly sweet for me. Unless of course I am low on blood sugar at 4pm on a workday afternoon and am craving sugar. Then they’re just about right to my slightly skewed sense of proportion. This cupcake is an homage to that super sweet and sugar chocolatey confection that I usually shun except for during my witching hour when only sweets will do.

The cake itself is a caramel mud cake topped with a chocolate icing. It’s sweet yes and inside and on top is a piece of Mars Bar to make it even sweeter. Please forgive the photos if you will, they were made last minute for a work fundraiser for the bushfires and due to the late hour, they lighting wasn’t as good as I wanted. And I broke my rule of not eating Mars Bars past 4pm and had one of those at 8pm at night. It was delicious, and not just for a 4pm sugar rush.

Mars Bar flavoured cupcakes

An original recipe by Not Quite Nigella

Makes 9 cupcakes

For cupcakes

  • 100g butter, chopped
  • 100g white chocolate chips
  • 100g muscovado sugar (or dark brown sugar)
  • 90ml hot water
  • 1 teaspoon golden syrup
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 Mars Bars chopped into 9 pieces

For icing

  • 90g/3oz milk or dark Chocolate
  • 125g/4.4 ozs Icing Sugar
  • 120g Butter/4ozs, softened

To decorate

  • 1 large Mars Bar cut into slices

1. Preheat oven to 160C/320F. Line muffin tray with cupcakes liners. In a small saucepan place butter, chocolate, sugar, water, golden syrup and vanilla and stir to melt, about 5 minutes on medium heat. Cool for 15 minutes. Beat in egg ensuring that it is thoroughly incorporated.

2. Sift flour and baking powder and stir into wet mixture until it is incorporated and there are no lumps. Pour into a jug and using the jug pour into the cupcake pan, about 2/3-3/4 of the way up. Place a piece of Mars Bar in each cupcake so that it sits in the centre. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

3. For Icing: Melt chocolate in a microwave according to instructions (I do it on 30% or 50% power in 60 second bursts). Put icing sugar in food processor to get rid of any lumps or sieve in a bowl. If using a food processor beat with butter and then cooled chocolate. If doing it by hand, whisk with butter in with the sieved icing sugar and then add chocolate and beat by hand using a large whisk.

If you enjoyed this post, why not share it with your friends?

Print Page

Subscribe to Not Quite Nigella

Subscribe to Not Quite Nigella to receive daily updates via email. Just enter your email address and press Subscribe.

Related Posts

Posted in Cooking and Recipes, Cupcakes

41 Comments | Add your own

  • 1. Arwen from Hoglet K | March 8, 2009 at 7:18 am | #

    Mars bars are the ultimate for blood sugar. We used to eat them after swimming lessons when we were young. The cupcakes look beautiful. You’ve even managed to cut the Mars bar straight!

  • 2. Kevin | March 8, 2009 at 7:39 am | #

    I am so craving one of those cupcakes now!

  • 3. Rosa | March 8, 2009 at 7:56 am | #

    What scrumptious cupcakes! Mouthwateringly delicious!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  • 4. Sophie | March 8, 2009 at 9:03 am | #

    MMMMMMM…Lorraine, you have done a great job!!! I love them!!! Can I have 1 or 2 right now!! But it is nearly midnight now, but I am craving for 1 or 2 or 3,…?!!!

  • 5. DevilishDamsel | March 8, 2009 at 9:11 am | #

    Oh wow…I want one NOW!…
    Sending hubby to buy Mars Bars.

  • 6. Cakelaw | March 8, 2009 at 10:02 am | #

    OMG – you had me at the title “Mars Bar cupcakes”. I hate to admit it but I love Mars Bars – the only reason that I cannot remember the last time I ate one is because in my old age, I am desperately trying to avoid putting back the spare tyre that I actually happily carried around for most of my twenties with gay abandon. These look absolutely wonderful, and the photos look great – absolutely could lick the screen (except it’s kinda dusty – ewww).

  • 7. FFichiban | March 8, 2009 at 10:30 am | #

    OOohh I may be a Snickers guy but these cupcakes look and sound soo tastyyy! MMm sugar high XD
    Your Mars slices are soo cleanly cut, so pro!
    And have you tried the Red Mars? What’s the difference?

  • 8. Sara | March 8, 2009 at 11:02 am | #

    These cupcakes look amazing! I don’t think it’s possible to go wrong by combining cake with candy :)

  • 9. anna | March 8, 2009 at 1:13 pm | #

    I’m totally full and still on a sugar high from cookies, cupcakes and marshmallows, and those STILL look great.

  • 10. Karen | March 8, 2009 at 2:02 pm | #

    Now we’re talking….

    Welcome home Lorraine! :)

  • 11. lisa (dandysugar) | March 8, 2009 at 4:39 pm | #

    My witching hour during the week is between 3-4pm and, I must tell you, it is quite evil. These little wicked cupcakes look like the perfect sinful fix! They’re out of this world, Lorraine!!

  • 12. Brianna | March 8, 2009 at 8:44 pm | #

    I’d so rather these than my usual chocolate bar come 4pm! =)

  • 13. lili | March 8, 2009 at 9:22 pm | #

    Oh yeah! These look great, though my afternoon sugar rush more often comes from a fresh chocolate croissant than a packaged chocolate bar, I would swap for one of these cupcakes :)

  • 14. Jennifer | March 8, 2009 at 9:41 pm | #

    Stunning pictures!!!

  • 15. Angela | March 8, 2009 at 9:51 pm | #

    Now your talking! If only it weren’t Lent, I’d be scouring the shops for Mars Bars and in the kitchen in a flash! Oh, I bet Nigella herself would soooo love these…

  • 16. pigpigscorner | March 8, 2009 at 10:12 pm | #

    Looks delicious with the chopped mars bars on top! yummy!

  • 17. K | March 8, 2009 at 10:27 pm | #

    woah i feel like i might get diabetes by just looking at that!

  • 18. Anita | March 8, 2009 at 10:30 pm | #

    Yum! Cupcakes and Mars Bars, I reckon that sounds like a winner. Especially when you’ve added a Mars Bar piece to the centre.

  • 19. Y | March 9, 2009 at 10:56 am | #

    I like the what are they called.. cupcake holders? Did you buy those or handmake those?

  • 20. tara | March 9, 2009 at 2:37 pm | #

    The red mars bar are supposed to have half the fat… if you compare it’s probably because they are a smaller bar with less nougat.

  • 21. Sandie | March 9, 2009 at 5:16 pm | #

    Can you believe I’ve never tried a Mars bar? I would guess there’s no better way to introduce them to my palate than these cupcakes. Sweet or not, they look sinfully tempting.

  • 22. Midge | March 9, 2009 at 8:28 pm | #

    I normally use Snickers bars for cupcakes, but Mars bars?! Oh, the possibilities~!

  • 23. Not Quite Nigella | March 9, 2009 at 10:19 pm | #

    Hi. Arwen-Yeah they give such a sugar rush! Hehe yes good to replacing energy, well short term wise. Thankyou! I really wanted the cut to be a clean one :)

    Hi Kevin-Thankyou so much! :)

    Hi Rosa-Thanks Rosa! :)

    Hi Sophie -Thankyou! Sure :) Awww no I wish I could send you some!

    Hi DevilishDamsel-Hehe did he buy some? :P

    Hi Cakelaw-There’s something about combining chocolate and cake isn’t there? :lol: Hehe at licking your screen :)

    Hi FFichiban-Hey you could definitely do these with Snickers too! Yep sugar high indeed :) I haven’t tried them yet -actually. But

    Hi Sara-Hehe yes exactly, no-one is going to complain are they? :lol:

    Hi anna-Why thankyou! That’s the ultimate test really! :D

    Hi Karen-Why thankyou Karen!

    Hi lisa -Yes I sometimes start at 3pm. And the world needs to be warned because low sugar=crankypants! Thankyou so much Lisa! :)

    Hi Brianna-Maybe a quick bake up of these and you could have one each afternoon for a couple of weeks? :)

    Hi lili-Oooh a fresh choc croissant is a good way to satisfy those cravings!

    Hi Jennifer-Thankyou! :)

    Hi Angela-Aww no, well perhaps after Lent you could make these? :) I think she would too!

    Hi pigpigscorner-Thanks so much! :)

    Hi K-Haha not quite! Not unless you ate a dozen of them!

    Hi Anita-I think it needed the Mars Barpiece on top, just to tip it over the edge! ;)

    Hi Y -Thanks! I made them with some wrapping paper that I cut into squares :)

    Hi tara-Ahh ok. so nothing that different taste wise? Ah well :(

    Hi Sandie-Oh really? They’re very sweet! Hehe yes this is a good intro to them.

    Hi Midge-I think they’d be great with Snickers or Mars bars (or another chocolate bar!) Yes the mind boggles! :)

  • 24. Soma | March 10, 2009 at 6:35 am | #

    Mars & cupcakes… One have a winning combo here…

    I missed a few posts..again… going over those now:-)

  • 25. Not Quite Nigella | March 10, 2009 at 9:07 pm | #

    Hi Soma-Hehe thankyou! :D

  • 26. grace | March 11, 2009 at 1:35 am | #

    chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. and caramel too. all i can say is freakin’ fantastic!

  • 27. The Duo Dishes | March 11, 2009 at 10:25 am | #

    Now this is what we like. Candy in cupcakes, cakes and cookies.

  • 28. Not Quite Nigella | March 11, 2009 at 9:21 pm | #

    Hi grace-Hehe it’s hard to say no isn’t it! :P

    Hi The Duo Dishes-Hehe yes, the sweet stuff seems to win many over! :D

  • 29. Fuji Mama | March 12, 2009 at 3:21 am | #

    I LOVE Mars bars! I’m going to have to try these.

  • 30. Jules | March 17, 2009 at 8:25 pm | #

    I’m not a mars bars fan at all, but one of the girls at work has been hassling me for ages to make some “Mars Bars Muffins”. And lo-and-behold, you provided a recipe that would, and I could not refuse. I was good and only had one..the others at work scoffed them all! Shame only makes 9..will have to double the recipe to increase numbers! Thanks once again for a great recipe.

  • 31. K | March 23, 2009 at 10:46 pm | #

    my cupcakes turned out rock hard!! why!!????

  • 32. Not Quite Nigella | March 24, 2009 at 7:34 pm | #

    Hi Fuji Mama-Cool! I hope you like them :)

    Hi Jules-How serendipitous! :) So glad that they were a hit and you’re more than welcome!

    Hi K-Rock hard is very odd indeed. The only time I’ve had a rock hard cake is when someone I knew made a cake but didn’t measure the ingredients accurately and altered the quantitues so could that be it?

  • 33. amanda | May 13, 2009 at 10:43 am | #

    hi i was just woundering if i could use this recipe as a cake recipe instead of a cup cake recipe?

  • 34. Not Quite Nigella | May 13, 2009 at 11:34 am | #

    Hi Amanda-Sure I don’t see why not! Although I’m not sure what size cake tin you would need?

  • 35. Suzie | June 16, 2009 at 2:25 pm | #

    Hi,
    looks like very tasty treats,
    and i was just writing down the recipe, but in the method you’ve mentioned the use of eggs, however i cannot see how many are meant to be used in the ingredients listed.
    hope to find out soon as i want to make them for the weekend!
    thanks :o )

  • 36. Not Quite Nigella | June 16, 2009 at 10:10 pm | #

    Hi Suzie-Thanks :) The recipe calls for 1 egg, it’s in the list just above the flour :)

  • 37. Suzie | June 18, 2009 at 9:29 am | #

    ohh sorry. silly me.
    thanks very much for the reply.

  • 38. Not Quite Nigella | June 18, 2009 at 12:06 pm | #

    Hi Suzie-No problems at all :)

  • 39. Alfie's Mum | January 8, 2010 at 7:47 am | #

    Thank you for sharing this recipe. I had a lush cake at a local (independent) coffee shop about a year ago which they called Mars Bar Cake which has been haunting me! It appeared to be a basic round chocolate cake with no icing but tasted as I imagine these must do – divine – and after searching a year for something even remotely similar (not just another Crispie-cake recipe!) I can’t wait to give these a go.

  • 40. Emma Clark | February 1, 2010 at 9:12 am | #

    Hi :) I just wondered what size cases you used for these – are they muffin size ones or the smaller fairy cake/bun case size? Thanks!

One Trackback/Pingback

  • 1. Mars Bar Muffins « dottydotty’s Blog | November 11, 2009 at 3:32 am

    [...] 10, 2009 For the recipe check out Not Quite Nigella         Posted by dottydotty Filed in 1 Leave a [...]

Post a Comment

Your email is never published nor shared. Required fields are marked *
*
*