Monster Cupcakes
1 hr
Perfect for Halloween or a kids' birthday — vanilla cupcakes topped with green chocolate frosting and candy eyes. They look wild and taste even better.
cakebakingfor kids
Rich chocolate sponge topped with a fluffy chocolate buttercream and crunchy hazelnuts. A proper crowd-pleaser for coffee guests.
Instructions
- 1
Beat the eggs and sugar together until you get a thick, pale foam — about 6–8 minutes. You want it really stiff.
- 2
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, vanilla sugar, and baking powder together into a bowl or onto a sheet of baking paper. Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg foam using a spatula — take your time here so you don't knock out the air.
- 3
Melt the butter in a saucepan, then break in the dark cooking chocolate. Let it sit for a few minutes so the chocolate melts, then stir until smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture into the batter and fold it in with a spatula until everything is well combined.
- 4
Pour the batter into a greased 24 cm springform pan lined with baking paper on the bottom. Bake in the middle of the oven at 170 °C for about 35 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack.
- 5
Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then break in the four-leaf clover chocolate. Let it sit a few minutes to melt, then stir until smooth. Let the mixture cool down. Now beat the butter and the cooled chocolate mixture together until you get a light, fluffy frosting. Spread it over the cake with a palette knife.
- 6
Scatter the roughly chopped hazelnuts over the top to finish.
Per average serving
63
Calories
kcal
2.5
Protein
g
0.2
Carbs
g
5.9
Fat
g
0g
Fiber
0.2g
Sugar
24mg
Sodium
Family Portions
2portions
Adults
2
Children
No children added
Ingredients
Per average serving
63
Calories
kcal
2.5
Protein
g
0.2
Carbs
g
5.9
Fat
g
0g
Fiber
0.2g
Sugar
24mg
Sodium
Tips from the kitchen
- The egg and sugar foam is the backbone of this cake. Six minutes minimum with an electric mixer. When you lift the beaters and the ribbon holds its shape on the surface for a few seconds, you're there.
- Fold the flour in slowly and stop the moment you can't see any dry streaks. Overworking it at this stage will flatten the foam and you'll end up with a dense sponge instead of a light one.
- Let the chocolate and cream mixture cool properly before you beat in the butter. If it's still warm, the butter will melt into it rather than whip up, and you'll get a runny glaze instead of a fluffy frosting. Give it at least 20 minutes on the counter.
- The cake is done when a skewer comes out with just a few moist crumbs. At 170°C in a 24 cm pan, 35 minutes is usually right, but ovens vary. Start checking at 30 minutes.
- You can bake the sponge a day ahead and wrap it tightly once it's cool. The frosting takes minutes to make, so it's worth doing fresh on the day you're serving.
Ways to vary it
- Four-leaf clover chocolate is a Norwegian milk chocolate with a distinctive caramel note, and it's what makes the frosting taste the way it does. If you can't get hold of it, a good milk chocolate with a slightly sweet, creamy character will work as a substitute.
- The hazelnuts on top can be swapped for roughly chopped walnuts or toasted flaked almonds if that's what you have. Toasting the hazelnuts in a dry pan for a few minutes before chopping them up gives a noticeably better result.
- For a slightly more grown-up version, a tablespoon of strong espresso stirred into the chocolate and butter mixture in step 3 deepens the chocolate flavour without making it taste like coffee.
Storage & leftovers
Kept in the fridge under a cake dome or wrapped in cling film, this will stay good for 3 to 4 days. The frosting firms up when cold, so take it out 20 to 30 minutes before serving. This cake freezes well unfrosted. Wrap the cooled sponge tightly and freeze for up to a month, then thaw overnight and frost on the day.
What to serve with it
A cup of strong black coffee is the natural companion here. This is very much a Norwegian coffee table cake, so serve it in slices alongside other small cakes and biscuits if you're doing a proper spread.
UC
By Untrained ChefPublished 27 June 2026
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