How to make super simple cupcake cupcakes – essentially 2 cupcakes in one, a mini cupcake stacked on another. Here we have a chocolate chip base with a vanilla frosting, mini chocolate chip cupcake with teeny frosting on top, it works a charm!
The method is pretty simple combine all of the cake batter ingredients together (except cocoa powder and chocolate chips) into a stand mixer and mix until well combined and a smooth batter is achieved. Alternatively use a large mixing bowl and repeat the steps. Stir in the chocolate chips. divide a quarter of the batter mixture into a smaller mixing bowl and stir through the tablespoon of cocoa powder – this is for the mini chocolate cupcakes.
Put the chocolate batter into smaller cupcake cases and the vanilla batter into standard cupcake cases bake in a pre-heated oven with the smaller ones on the lower shelf at gas mark 4 (or equivalent, see conversion chart). The smaller cakes will be done before the larger ones, check they are done with a toothpick, when they come out after being pushed into a cake you know they are good to go.
Meanwhile make the buttercream, beat the butter in a mixing bowl or stand mixer until a spreadable consistency is achieved, gradually add in the icing sugar in batches with the milk until well combined and slightly stiffened, it is good practice to have a spare bit of icing sugar and milk if you want to adjust taste.
Pipe the buttercream onto the standard size cupcakes and also the smaller ones, just a little dab for the smaller ones works well. Push a smaller cupcake into the frosting and hey presto, all done!