Our giant chocolate cupcake has a delicious chocolate sponge, vanilla buttercream and rich chocolate ganache.
How do you make a cupcake recipe more exciting? Inflate its size and smother it in buttercream and chocolate ganache! We have decorated the giant chocolate cupcake with a selection of Mars Planets, Maltesers and chocolate buttons but you can use your favourite chocolatey treats.
Ingredients
- 250g self-raising flour
- ½tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 3tbsp cocoa powder
- 220g caster sugar
- 220ml vegetable oil
- 220ml milk
- 3 medium eggs
- 3tbsp golden syrup
For the buttercream:
- 160g unsalted butter softened
- 500g icing sugar, sifted
- 2tsp vanilla extract
- 3tbsp milk
For the chocolate ganache:
- 150g dark chocolate
- 150ml double cream
- Mars Planets, Maltesers or Dairy Milk buttons (all optional)
WEIGHT CONVERTER
Method
- Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan, Gas 4). Grease the inside of your giant cupcake mould.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder. Stir through the caster sugar until evenly combined.
- In a jug, mix together the oil, milk, beaten eggs and golden syrup. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.
- Using an electric hand whisk, beat together until evenly blended and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Once smooth, pour the batter into the greased mould so that it fills about 3/4 of the way up each section of the mould.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Once cooked, cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before removing from the mould and leaving to cool completely on the rack.
- Meanwhile, cream together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla until combined. Add the milk a tablespoon at a time and continue beating for a few minutes until the buttercream reaches a light and fluffy consistency.
- To make the chocolate ganache, chop the chocolate into small chunks and place in a medium sized bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream until it’s nearly boiling. Once hot, pour over the chocolate, whisking all the time, until the chocolate is melted and you have a smooth silky ganache.
- When the cake is completely cool you can begin assembling and decorating it.
- Trim each sponge so that the top of the giant cupcake will sit flush on the base.
- Secure the base of the giant cupcake on a cake board or plate with a little blob of ganache.
- Once the ganache has cooled to a spreading consistency, spread it onto the sides of the cupcake base.
- Spread a thick layer of ganache on top of the cupcake base, this will act as the first layer of filling. Pipe or spread over a layer of the buttercream then put the top cupcake sponge on top. Use the remaining buttercream to decorate the top of the cupcake, ensuring you cover the section where the two layers meet. We recommend using a continuous swirl as you would ice a normal sized cupcake, finishing at the peak.
- Chill the cake for 5 minutes to harden slightly. If the ganache has hardened, dip the bottom of the bowl into some hot water to loosen it and whisk until you have a thick pouring consistency.
- Remove the cake from the fridge and pour the remaining ganache over the top of the cupcake to provide a mudslide-effect.
- Decorate with as many Mars Planets or other chocolate bites as you desire and finish with a generous dusting of cocoa powder.
Top tips for making our giant chocolate cupcake recipe
The cooking time can vary depending on your oven so after 45 minutes, keep checking every 5 minutes until it is cooked through. If you’d like more tips relating to making a successful giant chocolate cupcake, continue reading below.
Please note nutritional information is based on using 37g Maltesers as decorations. Other chocolates will vary in calories and fat content.
How many does a giant cupcake serve?
This recipe serves at least 10 - 12 adults but you will likely have some leftovers. The cake can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days. If you don’t think you’ll eat it all, consider treating your neighbours to a slice or list it on a food waste prevention app such as Olio.
What 2 ingredients is a ganache made from?
Chocolate ganache is made from double cream and chocolate. The ratio of cream to chocolate will determine the final texture of your ganache. In this recipe we use equal quantities of cream and chocolate which will give you a smooth ganache which is spreadable but will set firm.
What is the trick to making ganache?
It’s important to chop your chocolate evenly and into small pieces. This will help it to melt quickly and evenly when the hot cream is whisked in.
You also need to heat the cream until it’s scolding. This means just before boiling. You should see lots of steam being released and that’s a good indication it is hot enough.
If the ganache looks like it has split, whisk in a little more warm cream or a tablespoon of hot water.
To make this recipe successfully it’s important to use a giant cupcake tin. You can use a metal or silicone one, we think this non-stick tin is a good sturdy option.
If supersized bakes aren’t your thing, try our vanilla cupcake recipe instead. You might also like our rainbow cupcakes or go to the other end of the spectrum and try our mini cupcakes.
