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Nanaimo Bar Cupcakes

June 15, 2011 by bsinthekitchen

There are MANY great things to say about Nanaimo Bars: One – they are a delicious, authentic Canadian treat, Two – a beautiful town in BC where I have relatives and Three – my FAVOURITE type of square. Then combine this with a cupcake. Helllllooo hybrid of awesomeness! I’m drooling already, so let’s just get to the recipe.

For the cake base, I modified a Devil Chocolate Cake (originally from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook) and used the following ingredients:

 

  • 1 1/2 cup silvered almonds
  • 2 cups coconut
  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 1 cup cocoa
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 3 eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 3 tsp vanilla extract

Combine your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa) and set aside. Cream your butter until smooth and add your brown and white sugar and cream for three minutes. Add your eggs, beating after each addition. Add in the dry ingredients, alternating between the buttermilk and blend until completely mixed. Using a spatula, fold in the almonds and coconut.

Pour into cupcake liners/tins, and place into a 350°F for 25-30 minutes (until a tooth pick comes out clean). Set aside and let them completely cool until icing.

For the icing, I actually used the middle of the nanaimo bar filling:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup whipping cream
  • 4 tbsp vanilla custard powder
  • 4 cups icing sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

After icing these cupcakes using the Wilton 1M tip, toast some coconut and almonds, shave some chocolate and then use those to top the cupcakes.

I hope you enjoy these beautiful little Canadian treats,

Carlene

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Filed Under: cupcake, Dessert Tagged With: almonds, bar, buttercream, canadian, chocolate, coconut, cupcake, icing, nanaimo, treat, Vanilla

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Claudia

    June 20, 2011 at 7:53 pm

    Now I finally have an idea what Nanaimo bars are. 😉 Do you have an idea where you can get good Nanaimo bars in Saskatoon? I’m reluctant to try the supermarket variety… it’s probably best to do them at home, right? 🙂

    • bsinthekitchen

      June 20, 2011 at 8:07 pm

      I’ve had good ones from the Peasant Hill Bakery on 20th – looks really sketchy but taste good. Farmer’s Market is always a good bet too!

      • Claudia

        June 20, 2011 at 8:57 pm

        Thanks! I’ll look for them there.

    • Moni Plunz-Katterhagen

      February 17, 2014 at 10:56 pm

      Costco has amazing Nanaimo bars 🙂

    • Villoy

      February 21, 2014 at 12:43 pm

      I have yet to find a commercial Nanaimo bar that even comes close to the homemade original recipe – I can send it to you if you like. they are so easy to make.

    • Barb

      November 6, 2015 at 8:34 am

      http://www.iwashyoudry.com/2013/08/07/nanaimo-bars/

  2. Bourbonnatrix

    June 20, 2011 at 11:06 am

    my jaw dropped with i saw these on tastespotting. genius idea!

  3. Nicole

    June 16, 2011 at 7:53 am

    I love Nanaimo bars and what a great idea to make them as cupcakes. I can’t wait to make these!

  4. natalie (the sweets life)

    June 16, 2011 at 7:30 am

    love this idea!! still need to try nanaimo’s in bar form too! 🙂

  5. Ruby

    June 15, 2011 at 11:21 pm

    Interesting idea, using the filling as frosting, and lovely photos!

  6. Sasha Semenoff Libby

    June 15, 2011 at 10:17 pm

    Carlene, any time you want to collaborate on something for a post, let me know… we are in the same city after all!

    Yummy approach to the Nanaimo cupcake… just YUMMY!

    Sasha

  7. Amy Kelly

    June 15, 2011 at 10:16 pm

    Thanks for sharing this link on my blog, what a seriously brilliant idea! I am crazy in love with the Nanaimo Bar filling and I imagine it would make one absolutely divine frosting. You are so creative for coming up with the idea!

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