BS in the Kitchen

Nanaimo Bar Cupcakes

by

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

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • It’s different than vanilla pudding mix, but in this case, you could probably use vanilla pudding mix (we have never tried this though). If you do, let us know how it goes!

  2. I made these tonight with a GF flour blend. Delicious. The icing was a little too something but good with the cupcakes.

  3. I love Nanaimo bars. Being from BC originally I remember them growing up. I don” live in Canada anymore and getting the custard powder is difficult when it’s needed for the original recipe bars, so the cupcakes look like a good alternative. Thanks!
    PS My parents and a few of my 4 of my siblings now call Nanaimo BC home.

  5. Have not used vanilla custard powder before….is it easy to find or is it just dry vanilla pudding mix ? Thanks !

Trackbacks

  1. […] This recipe for Nanaimo Bar Cupcakes. If you’ve never had a Nanaimo bar, stop what you’re doing and go visit my grandmother and get one, immediately. They are probably my favourite food, and the greatest things to come out of Canada since… well all the other great things that come out of Canada. […]