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These Spiced Chocolate Bonfire Cupcakes are a perfect cosy bake to make for Bonfire Night! The chocolate sponge is flavoured with warming spices like ginger and cinnamon, to keep you feeling snug inside on a cold autumn evening. The fire coloured buttercream is orange flavoured for a bit of zing, and I've decorated them with orange chocolate sticks too. They are a flavour explosion that are perfect for eating while watching the fireworks!

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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
I used a baking spread for the cupcakes and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
If you can, do use dark brown sugar for the cupcakes as it makes them extra fudgey. Light brown sugar will also work well. But, you can use caster sugar if you can't get hold of either of them.
I decorated the cupcakes with orange matchmakers to match the orange buttercream, and to represent wood on the bonfire. Chocolate fingers could also work, although they are a bit chunkier. You could also use some chocolate strand sprinkles.
You can use any cocoa powder for the cupcakes, of course the better quality it is, the better flavour it will have. Also do make sure you are using cocoa powder and not a hot chocolate powder.
Mixed spice is a British spice blend containing cinnamon, coriander seed, nutmeg, clove, pimento, and ground ginger. If you can't get hold of it where you're based, you can use a Pumpkin Spice mix instead or add more of the other spices.
For the buttercream I used professional grade food colourings. These types of food colouring not only provide excellent colour results, but they are gel based so they do not make the buttercream sloppy. They are also easily available for purchase online. My favourite brands are Pro Gel and Sugarflair. Other good quality brands are Colour Mill and Americolor.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Spiced Chocolate Bonfire Cupcakes

To make the cupcakes, mix the baking spread and dark brown sugar together for five minutes until fluffy, then mix in the eggs and milk. Add the self raising flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, cinnamon and mixed spice, and mix or fold in gently.

Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases, bake for 25-30 minutes, or until risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Place on a cooling rack and leave to cool fully.

Make the buttercream by mixing together the butter, icing sugar, orange extract and milk. Divide it into three bowls, colour one red, one orange and one yellow using food colouring. Lay the three colours of buttercream out onto some cling film, then roll into a sausage shape. Snip off the cling film at one end and feed that end into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle. Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes and decorate with the orange chocolate sticks.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

What is the best food colouring to use?

To get bright shades you need use a professional grade gel food colouring. You can buy these easily from many online shops, including Amazon. I used the brand Sugarflair for these cupcakes. Pro Gel, Colour Mill and Americolor are other popular brands.

How long do the cupcakes last and can they be frozen?

The cupcakes will last for 2-3 days in an airtight container in a cool place. You can freeze both the cupcakes and the buttercream. To freeze them separately, wrap the cupcakes well in cling film or put them in an airtight container. The buttercream can be frozen in a sealed tub. To freeze them decorated, freeze the cupcakes on a plate until frozen solid, then carefully wrap in cling film. Remove the clingfilm when you take the cupcakes out of the freezer to defrost, as if they defrost with it still on it could damage the appearance of the buttercream.

Do you have to beat the butter and sugar together for the full 5 minutes?

You don't have to, but I do recommend doing this to achieve the same results as me. I like a very slight bump or dome on my cupcakes, and for them to rise all the way to the top of the cupcake cases. I've tested this recipe multiple times and found that beating the butter and sugar together for 5 minutes achieves what I consider to be the perfect rise!

Is butter or a baking spread better for cupcakes?

I prefer to use a baking spread (my preferred brand is Stork) for cupcake and cake sponges. I find that they are easier to use and they make the sponge rise more. You can also use most baking spread straight from the fridge, which is handy during a last minute baking emergency!

Should you use salted or unsalted butter for cupcakes?

I always use unsalted butter and baking spread for baking. This is because if you want to add salt to your recipe, you then have complete control of the salt level. Lots of people add salt to enhance the flavour of baked goods, so when you do this you want to know exactly how much you're adding. I personally prefer not to add salt to cakes and cupcakes. However, using a salted butter or baking spread will not affect the bake negatively and won't make it taste salty.

What are the best cupcake cases to use?

Good quality cupcake cases that are made from high strength and greaseproof paper will improve the overall appearance of your cupcakes. They will also help to prevent the cases from peeling. My favourite brand is Culpitt, which you can get via Amazon and also several online cake decorating retailers.

Can this recipe be made into a larger cake?

Yes, check out my Spiced Chocolate Bonfire Cake recipe for more details.

Do you need an electric mixer to make this recipe?

While you can absolutely make this recipe with a wooden spoon and some elbow grease, I do recommend using an electric mixer for the best results. The cupcakes will be lighter and fluffier when made with an electric mixer. The buttercream will also be smoother. You don't have to use an expensive stand mixer either, you can get electric hand whisks for as little as £10!

Can these cupcakes be made with plain or all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 1 + ½ teaspoons additional baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

Can these cupcakes be made gluten free?

Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add additional baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 1 + ½ teaspoons additional baking powder. You may also like to add ¼ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cupcakes if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

Can these cupcakes be made dairy free?

For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread and dairy free milk for the cupcakes and the buttercream. For the buttercream I recommend using a block butter alternative, such as Flora Plant or the Stork Baking Block, for best results. You will also need a dairy free alternative to the Orange Matchmakers. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cupcakes if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

More tips for making the Spiced Chocolate Bonfire Cupcakes:

If you just want plain chocolate cupcakes, omit the spices and reduce the milk to 1 tbsp.
You can swap the orange extract in the buttercream for vanilla extract if you prefer.
For piping the buttercream, I used a Wilton 2D nozzle.

Troubleshooting

My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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