Smarties cupcakes are a twist on the classic vanilla treat, infusing every bite with a burst of tart sweetness from crushed Smarties in the buttercream frosting. Treat your guests to this fun and flavorful dessert that’s perfect for any celebration, proving that cupcakes can be both nostalgic and exciting!
Smarties Cupcakes: Crushed Smarties in the Frosting
The idea for these cupcakes came from a bag of Smarties candies, also known as Rockets. If you are not familiar with them, Smarties are a tart candy tablet that comes in fruit flavors and is not to be confused with chocolate Smarties that are sold outside the U.S. and are similar to M&Ms.
For the buttercream in this recipe, I crushed the little candy discs into a powder and then added them to the frosting. Then I added vanilla extract, lemon zest, and a little lemon extract to the buttercream. The tartness of the candy worked well in the frosting, and the lemon enhanced its flavor.
Smarties Cupcakes: A Base Vanilla Cupcake
I used this buttercream with fluffy, soft vanilla cupcakes. This is one of my favorite cupcake recipes, and I got it from the baking book Cake Confidence. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you don’t have to use a mixer to mix the cupcakes, so there’s no worry about over-beating the batter.
Mix the Wet Ingredients
Add the wet ingredients to a bowl and whisk them together. At first, it will look lumpy because of the sour cream. Just keep whisking until the mixture is very smooth.
Mix Dry Ingredients Separately
Mix the dry ingredients together and then sift them into the wet ingredients. Sifting breaks up the lumps in the dry ingredients, so you don’t need a mixer to smooth the batter. If you don’t have a sifter, use a fine-mesh wire strainer. Then use a large spoon or a small whisk to “stir” the ingredients through the strainer’s wire mesh. Then discard any pieces that won’t pass through the strainer.
Smarties Cupcakes: Do Not Overstir the Batter
After the dry ingredients are sifted, stir the batter until the dry ingredients are moistened but not over-stirred. There may be a few lumps, but that is okay. Then place the batter into the baking cups or liners.
Smarties Cupcakes: Divide the Batter Between Cups
Divide the batter between the liners or cups. The batter will be thick. These baking cups (from My Mind’s Eye) can stand alone on a cookie sheet and don’t need greasing or a muffin pan for cooking. They are larger than regular cupcake papers, so the recipe will fill about 12.
However, if using regular cupcake liners, the recipe yields 24 cupcakes. You can also bake the cupcakes in the liners and set them in the decorative baking cups after baking.
Decorate with Smarties
Once the cupcakes are frosted, add a few Smarties to the tops for decoration. Enjoy!
Other Cupcakes You Might Like
If you like these cupcakes, here are some others you might enjoy:
- Charming and Easy Cupcakes (pumpkins)
- Strawberry Cupcakes
- Candy Corn Cupcakes
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
- Peppermint Cupcakes
Smarties Cupcakes
Equipment
- a mixer
- large star tip (1M)
- piping bag
- cupcake liners or standalone baking cups (see notes for baking cup sources)
- muffin pan if using cupcake liners
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ⅔ cup sour cream, room temperature
- ¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- (1) 15-16-ounce box white cake mix
Buttercream Frosting
- 3 sticks salted butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon lemon extract
- zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup Smarties candy, crushed to a powder (also known as Rockets)
- 4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
- 5 cups powdered (icing) sugar
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Place baking cups on a baking sheet or cupcake liners in a muffin pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla, eggs, and vegetable oil until smooth. Then sift in the cake mix and stir until smooth but not overmixed. Do not skip sifting the cake mix or the batter will be lumpy.
- Using a cookie scoop, place the cake batter into the cupcake liners or baking cups, dividing the batter evenly. Do not grease the cups. (See the note below for baking cup sources.)
- Bake for 17 minutes or until the cupcakes are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with crumbs. Do not overbake. After 5 minutes, move the cupcakes to a cooling rack. Cool before frosting. (If using baking cups, bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with crumbs.)
Buttercream Frosting
- Use an electric mixer to beat the butter, vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon zest until creamy.
- Place the Smarties in a plastic resealable bag, then use a rolling pin or meat mallet to crush the candy until all large pieces are crushed. Note: This candy doesn't crush well in an electric chopper. If there are smaller pieces that aren't as finely crushed, it is okay to use them in the frosting.
- Add the smarties and 4 tablespoons of the cream to the butter and beat until mixed. Then add the powdered sugar a cup at a time, beating between each addition. If the frosting is too stiff, add more cream. If too soft, add more sugar.
- Use a piping bag and a large star tip to pipe frosting onto the cupcakes. Make a circle of frosting around the outside of the cupcake top, then continue circling, moving in closer to the middle with each circle. This will make the frosting taller in the middle of the cupcake.
- Decorate the cupcakes with extra Smarties by sprinkling a few on each cupcake.
Notes
Nutritional Information
Nutritional information is for 24 cupcakes.Yield
- Standalone baking cups: 12 cupcakes
- Regular-sized cupcake liners in a muffin pan: 20-24 cupcakes