Delicious chocolate and vanilla cupcakes that are perfect for bonfire night – buttercream flames, matchmaker kindling and more = bonfire cupcakes!
Bonfire night cupcakes!
It’s not technically been halloween yet but I am going on and on and baking more treats for you guys, and this time it is bonfire night themed! How can I honestly resist though, so far you guys are loving it!
I wanted to do something really fun and party like for bonfire night, so went a little bit more dedicated on the theming of this bake. I just wanted to relive my bonfire night memories from being a kid, in cupcake form!
Bonfire night
I used to love bonfire night around my family friends house – they always did such tasty food, a bonfire, and even competition of who could make the best guy fawkes – but the food was the best bit. I just loved it!
Other than usually having a lot of fireworks go off near my house, I tend to just have a quieter evening these days – or a bit of a fun evening with some friends, so baking something like this is perfect if you are like me, or if you are actually going to a party!
Cupcakes
These bonfire cupcakes are relatively simple, with a chocolate cupcake base (I actually flavoured mine orange but this is optional) – and then a buttercream frosting coloured accordingly for the idea of flames! I only did red, orange and yellow – but I loved how it turned out!
I used brown cases for the cupcakes so it was a bit more ‘ground’ or ‘dirt’ like, and used a simple chocolate cupcake mix for the base mixture. I used my favourite cocoa powder as always because I do just love the flavour it makes, along with light brown soft sugar in the sponge.
Buttercream
For the buttercream on my bonfire cupcakes, I made a simple American style buttercream frosting that I then flavoured orange as well – again, this is optional, but I used orange matchmakers so I needed to fit my flavour theme!
I used this red food colouring, this orange food colouring and this yellow food colouring for the flames – I wanted to stick in an order of colours so there is slightly more red buttercream, slight less orange, and even less yellow as so little was needed!
Tips and tricks!
I used the classic 2d closed star piping tip for the recipe because I love the swirls – I used these piping bags, and then switched the piping tip each time. You can use one piping bag and swirl all the buttercream together if you preferred, but I liked it all separate.
For the kindling or logs for the bonfire, I chose to use matchmakers. I feel like they are the easiest ‘stick’ looking thing you can easily buy – but you can use something else if you prefer! I do trim the matchmakers down slightly though to make them fit better.
Decoration
I decided to sprinkle on a few gold sprinkles just to add a little something to each bonfire cupcake, but this is entirely optional as always! All of my decoration ideas are!
I hope you all have a lovely and safe bonfire night – if you bake these I hope you love then! Another delicious easy bake you can have a go at is my bonfire night bark – it would go perfectly with these! Enjoy! X
Bonfire Cupcakes!
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Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 200 g light brown soft sugar
- 150 g self raising flour
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Buttercream
- 200 g unsalted butter (not stork) (room temperature)
- 400 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp red food colouring
- 1 tsp orange food colouring
- 1/2 tsp yellow food colouring
Decoration
- 1 box Matchmakers
- sprinkles
Instructions
Cupcakes
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Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan and prep 12 cases.
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Beat the unsalted butter/stork and light brown soft sugar together until light and fluffy.
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Add in the self raising flour, cocoa powder, eggs and vanilla extract.
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Beat the mixture until its thick and lovely.
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Split the mixture evenly between the 12 cases and bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes.
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Once baked, leave to cool fully.
Buttercream
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Beat the room temperature unsalted butter on its own for a few minutes to loosen it and make it smoother.
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Add in the icing sugar and vanilla extract and beat again until smooth – I mix for a good few minutes.
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Split the buttercream into three bowls. I used 300g in one, and coloured this red. I put 200g into another and made this orange, and the last 100g I coloured yellow.
Decoration
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Pipe a ring of red food colouring onto each cupcake. Then, pipe a slightly smaller orange ring, and then finally a little yellow one on top. I used a 2d closed star piping tip.
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Carefully press the matchmakers into the sides of the ‘flame’ buttercream and sprinkle on some gold sprinkles if you want.
Notes
- For this recipe:
- I used these brown cases
- I used this red food colouring
- I used this orange food colouring
- I used this yellow food colouring
- I used this cocoa powder
- I used these gold sprinkles
- I used this piping tip
- I used these piping bags
- These cupcakes will last 3-4 days, at room temp.
- You can freeze these cupcakes for 3+ months.
ENJOY!
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J x
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