September 11, 2015
Custard Cream Cupcakes!
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A cupcake twist on a classic biscuit – the custard cream. Custard flavoured cupcakes, vanilla custard frosting, and a custard cream biscuit to boot! Amazing custard cream cupcakes!
Cupcakes obsession
Cupcakes are what started my baking addiction, but before this all I used to eat was cookies, biscuits and cakes from the shop… this of course included the ‘custard cream’ – potentially one of the most iconic biscuits in the world?!
I LOVE biscuits out of the packet, they’re built for being dunked into a hot drink and I will happily sit there an eat an entire packet of my favourite biscuit during a film. No judging. However, when you want to bake with them, no-one will be complaining.
Custard cream cupcakes
I was asked by one of my most avid and lovely readers to create a custard cream recipe, and I decided on cupcakes as I love and adore them, and other people seem to love them too! I know that these cupcakes will be a success because they are now one of my favourites.
The cupcakes start off with a standard cupcake recipe of butter, sugar, eggs and flour, but to change it up enough I used custard powder in my cupcakes as I wanted to have a hint of flavour there, and change the colour slightly so they don’t just look like vanilla cupcakes. (Not that there is anything wrong with the basic vanilla cupcake.. just my recipe for them out here)
Frosting and baking cups
For the frosting, I used custard powder, because again I wanted it to have a lovely and delicious custard flavour, but you could also make it just vanilla if you wanted. I always use the birds custard powder because its my favourite, but what brand you can buy may depend on where you are in the world.
For these cupcakes I used my favourite regular baking cups from iced jems, and my favourite 2D closed star piping tip – I know my cupcakes often look similar but its just because I love the design so much – the swirl always looks like an ice cream.
More recipes
I loved making these cupcakes custard cream themed, so much so I experimented with the custard cream theme a little further! I have added a custard cream cheesecake, custard cream blondies and even a custard cream sandwich cake to my website – DELICIOUS!
Cupcakes have always been super popular on my blog, some of my other favourites are my passionfruit martini cupcakes, my cadburys cupcakes and my chocolate orange cupcakes – custard creams are just so iconic though I can’t help but love them. They’re perfect for a bake sale, for an afternoon treat, or something to bake with your kids! Enjoy!
Recipe Updated June 2017!
Custard Cream Cupcakes!
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 175 g unsalted butter/baking spread
- 175 g golden caster sugar
- 3 medium eggs
- 135 g self raising flour
- 65 g custard powder (I used birds)
- 50 ml whole milk (optional)
Buttercream
- 150 g unsalted butter (room temp)
- 300 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 25 g custard powder
Decoration
- 12 custard creams
- Custard cream crumbs
- Sprinkles
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 180ºc/160ºc fan and prep 12 cupcakes cases.
- Beat together the unsalted butter and golden caster sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs, self raising flour, custard powder and beat again.
- If the mixture is thick, add the milk and beat again.
- Split the mixture between the 12 cases and bake in the oven for 17-20 minuets, or until baked through.
- Leave the cupcakes to cool fully on a wire rack.
Butttercream
- Beat the unsalted butter on its own for a few minutes to loosen it.
- Add the icing sugar, custard powder and vanilla and beat again for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
- If the mixture is really thick, add 1/2 tbsp of boiling water at a time until smooth.
Decoration
- Decorate the cupcakes with your favourite piping tip, and add on a custard cream.
- Sprinkle on any biscuit crumbs or sprinkles if you fancy. Enjoy!
Notes
- The very original recipe's ingredients were:
- 225g unsalted butter
- 225g golden caster sugar
- 4 medium eggs, beaten
- 200g self raising flour
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 100g custard powder (I used Birds!)
- 50ml whole milk
Follow the same recipe method, but it makes 14-16 cupcakes, and add the bicarbonate in with the flour! - I used these baking cups
- I used this piping tip
- These cupcakes will last 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
- You don't have to use custard powder in the cupcake mix, you can just use my vanilla cupcakes recipe - but I like the slight hint of the custard in the cupcake mix!
- Recipe updated December 2022. Recipe prior is below;
- Cupcakes: 150g unsalted butter, 150g golden caster sugar, 3 medium eggs, 125g self raising flour, 65g custard powder, 50ml whole milk
- Buttercream: 150g unsalted butter, 300g icing sugar, 25g custard powder and 1tsp vanilla extract
- Follow the same method as above!
ENJOY!
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J x
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These look incredible. 😍. I’m always up for trying new recipes and can’t wait to try these. My taste tester aka my friend who insists on trying everything I make (which is great, she gives honest and often great feedback), is obsessed with custard creams so she’ll be eager for these.
To add another level to the cupcake, so you think I could add some chopped up custard cream biscuits to the cupcake?
Hi Jane
These look lovely, wanting to buy one of your recipe books, which one is this recipe in?
Thank you
Hi team jane
I need to make many of you cupcake recipes
Custard cream
White chic raspberry
Lemon
Vanilla
Chocolate
Can these be made ahead of time and frozen if so would you freeze prior to decorating/icing
Thank you
Hiya, just wondering, in the buttercream it says to use custard cream, so you mean custard powder? Thank you 😊
Hiya! Sorry about this – as you can see in the ingredients list and step 2 of the decoration it is custard powder, custard creams in the decorations! Hope this helps! x
Hi Jane, I want to try this recipe, could I bake the cupcakes, store them & then ice them the following day? Many thanks x
Hiya! Yes absolutely you can! Hope this helps x
I really want to try these but just make around 6?? What measurements would I need please??
The best thing to do is to bake 4 or 8 as its easiest to base it around the amount of eggs you use! x
This is going to sound really silly but what would all the measurements be for 4 and 8? As im not that good qt the measurement side to things. Thankyou!
This recipe looks amazing! But I only have large eggs. Can you use large eggs in this / how many should I use?
I would use 3 large, and make the rest of the ingredients 175g if that makes sense!
Hi Jane,
Loving all of your recipes! Just wondering how I could adapt this recipe to suit a gluten free diet? If I used gluten free self Raising flour would I need to make any alterations to the original recepie?
Thanks :). X
So you would have to check every ingredient (custard creams aren’t gluten free so you’d need GF ones!) but otherwise that should be it! x
Hi. What measurements wudl I need to use if I wanted to bake this as a cake rather than muffins and also how long should I bake it for please?
I usually say one batch of cupcakes like this is one layer of an 8″ cake – so double for a two-layer and split between two 8″ tins. Baking time is probably about 35 minutes!
Hi! Can you use normal caster sugar or does it have to be golden, also what is the difference? Thanks xx
Golden caster sugar is a more caramel flavour basically, but they are interchangeable!
Could I use either normal caster sugar or golden granulated sugar to replace golden caster sugar in the cupcakes?
I would use normal caster sugar..
How do you make moist cupcakes?
I find that most that ive tasted are either caky crumbly or dry….
And do you have tips on how to prolong the shelf life of cupcakes?
Ive eaten lavender cupcakes before…and its my top choice eversince
Don’t overbake, and store at room temperature, not in the fridge!
These look amazing, I think I will cook these for MacMillian Coffee Morning this Friday. Can I freeze the mixture uncooked?
I’m afraid I’ve never frozen cupcake mixture before baking, I’ve only ever put the cupcakes in the freezer (which is fine to do) x
[…] from this […]
hi! just a question…..wont the frosting would have taste of uncooked custard powder or it would be fine….?
It tastes good, don’t worry! x
I found the texture to feel a bit ‘powdery which I presume is due to the cornflour in the custard powder. Tastes lovely tho lol
Hi there,
Could I use your oil based vanilla cup cakes but add custard powder do you think?
I love the moistness of the oil recipe … best I’ve found!
Thank you
Mel
Hiya! I’m not sure which recipe you are talking about but I’m sure it would still work!
How much custard powder for vanilla bean! Xx
Hiya sorry I don’t understand?
Thanks so much Jane!!! Can’t wait to make this! Would I be able to send u a picture of my creation ?
[…] Cream cupcakes on Pinterest last week and just had to try them out. I found the recipe on the Jane’s Patisserie […]
Hi, I’ve just found your custard cream cakes and wanted to query are they fairy cake or muffin size please.
Cupcake/Muffin size.
They’re Cupcake/Muffin size.
Too bad the US doesn’t have custard mix.Unless you go to a specialty shop where you massively overpay.
Isn’t there a recipe for custard?
I live in the UK so I have access to it easily. Using actual custard wouldn’t have the same affect and would make a completely different bake.
Hi just an update here, I was able to find Birds custard powder in the British section of my grocery store ,so I plan on trying these this weekend.
You can find custard powder at middle eastern stores.
I’m not sure if I can find custard powder I live in Seattle Washington USA would there be a substitute I could use, maybe vanilla pudding powder?
I live in the UK so I have access to it – I wouldn’t know an American substitute I’m afraid. x
[…] thought about some other biscuits this would work with. Custard creams came to mind. I then found this recipe online, and decided to try it […]
I’ve just discovered this, and I need to try! I might try and do the custard buttercream rather than cake flavour… Such a fabulous idea!!
Thanks!!
[…] Cupcakes: https://www.janespatisserie.com/2015/09/11/custard-cream-cupcakes/ […]
I’ve tried making these this week – love them! 🙂
Ahh I am so glad you liked them!! 🙂
These look great – I’m going to give them a try today! x
Aah thank you! I hope you love them! 🙂 x
[…] them! Then a few weeks ago, the wonderful Jane of Jane’s Patisserie shared a recipe for Custard Cream Cupcakes. I know! I thought all my luck had come at once with these gems, you couldn’t create a more […]
[…] them! Then a few weeks ago, the wonderful Jane of Jane’s Patisserie shared a recipe for Custard Cream Cupcakes. I know! I thought all my luck had come at once with these gems, you couldn’t create a more […]
These look cool! ?
Thank you! 🙂
Love, Love, Love! Custard Creams!
They’re soooo good aren’t they! delicious!
Sounds great! I really like your blog!
Thank you so much!! 🙂
These look beautiful!
Thank you! 😀
I love this! Using something so familiar like this is such a fun idea 😀
Thank you so much! 😀
Wow, I love custard creams. We can only get them at the British store here and the cost about $5cdn dollars for a small package. So they are only a rare treat for me. I am going to make these for sure!
Ohh that’s a shame, at least you can still get them!! And please do! Thanks!
Custard creams are my favourite biscuit ever! Love love love these Jane 🙂
Hahah thanks Lauren!! They’re my utter guilty pleasure, would eat the whole packet!
Me too! I gave them up for Lent and my housemates hid custard creams literally everywhere so I’d find them and fail! :p as soon as it was Easter I ate an entire packet to celebrate haha 🙂
Hahah cruel housemates ? x