These chocolate Cornflake cakes are a fun, easy dessert to make with kids for any occasion. You'll only need 4 simple ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time to make them, and best of all, there's no baking required!
If you’ve been following along with my recent posts, you’ll know that I’ve been on a bit of a cereal-treat kick lately and today, I’m excited to share another classic with you- these old-school chocolate Cornflake cakes. This recipe is one of my favourites, and I can’t wait for you to try it out!
An old school treat
Chocolate Cornflake cakes are a nostalgic treat that will just instantly transport you back to childhood. They've been a popular kids' treat in the UK for decades, and they were an absolute staple at every birthday party I attended in the 90s. Any time I asked to 'bake' as a kid, you could almost guarantee I'd be making some variation of Cornflake crispy cakes.
They are so simple to make, yet so utterly delicious! There are no fancy ingredients or complicated techniques in this recipe, just good old-fashioned, crunchy, chocolatey goodness. They are guaranteed to be a hit whatever the occasion- bake sales, birthday parties, coffee mornings, or anything else!
For those of you who are new to 'baking', I've written some information below to help you get it right on the first try. The post contains ingredient and equipment notes, step-by-step photos, topping ideas and more. If you'd prefer to get to the 'TLDR' version, you can find it in the recipe card at the end of the post, along with the recipe video. I hope you enjoy!
Ingredient notes
Here's everything you need to make old school Cornflake cakes...
- Chocolate: I used milk chocolate for this recipe because I like my Cornflake crispy cakes super sweet. You could use semi-sweet chocolate instead, or even a mixture of milk and dark chocolate. Whatever suits your preference!
- Butter: Use unsalted butter for these cakes, unless you particularly enjoy the sweet and salty combo.
- Golden syrup: Golden syrup is a thick invert-sugar syrup that you'll find in the baking aisle at most UK supermarkets. You could use an equal amount of honey, agave nectar or maple syrup instead but golden syrup has a distinct caramel flavour that’s hard to replicate, so it’s worth getting your hands on some if you can.
- Cornflakes: Of course, we'll need some Cornflakes for this recipe too- any kind will work. You'll need 150g of them, which is around 5 US cups worth.
Equipment
- Saucepan: To melt the ingredients in. If you prefer to melt them in the microwave, you'll need a heatproof bowl instead.
- Muffin or cupcake tin: I like to use a muffin tin as the deeper holes help the cakes hold shape better but a cupcake tin or regular baking tray will work fine too.
- Cupcake cases: 12 paper or silicone cupcake liners. If you'd like to make more or less cakes, you can use the 'servings' slider in the recipe card at the end of the post to adjust the ingredient quantities.
- Utensils: A wooden spoon for mixing everything together, plus a tablespoon or two to help you divide the mixture between the cupcake cases.
How to make chocolate Cornflake cakes
Step 1: First, line a muffin or cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases. I'd recommend using a deep muffin tin if you can.
Step 2: Next, break up 200g of milk chocolate into segments and place them into a saucepan, along with 120g of unsalted butter and 4 tablespoons of golden syrup.
Step 3: Place the saucepan over low heat on the stove and stir it every so often until there are no lumps of butter or chocolate left. Remove it from the heat.
If you'd prefer to use the microwave, add all of the ingredients to a heatproof bowl and pop it into the microwave in 30-second bursts. Take it out in between each burst and give it a good stir, which will help prevent the mixture from seizing.
Step 4: Pour 150g of Cornflakes into the saucepan/bowl and mix well. Make sure all of the Cornflakes are evenly coated in the chocolate mixture, which will help the cakes stick together better as they set.
Step 5: Divide the Cornflake crispy cake mixture up between your 12 cases and gently pat down into place. Top with cake sprinkles or any other decorations while the chocolate is still wet.
Step 6: Leave your cakes to set at room temperature or pop them in the fridge for an hour or two until the chocolate is firm. Then all that's left to do is enjoy!
Other topping ideas
If you don't want to use cake sprinkles as a decoration, here are some other ideas for you:
- Chocolate beans (I got the ones in the photos from the baking section in Tesco)
- Mini marshmallows
- Chocolate curls, chocolate chips, or a drizzle of melted white or dark chocolate
- Desiccated coconut
- Crushed nuts
- Mini M&Ms, Smarties, chocolate Mini Eggs, or any other candies
FAQ
They should last for around 1 week if you keep them in an airtight container in the fridge.
Yes, they'll freeze well for up to 1 month. You can freeze them on a baking tray until they're solid, then put them in a freezer bag before returning them to the freezer. Alternatively, pop them into airtight containers, using pieces of baking paper to separate them, to stop them from sticking to one another as they freeze.
You sure can! I like the brand Go Free. The rest of the ingredients are naturally gluten-free so these should be safe for those with gluten sensitivities.
This could be due to the mixture being too hot when you added the Cornflakes or inaccurate measuring. For best results, use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients and keep the heat low when melting.
More crispy cake recipes:
I hope you have fun making these old-school chocolate Cornflake cakes! If you give them a go, make sure to leave a comment and/or rating to let me know what you think. And if you find this post useful, I'd really appreciate it if you shared it with a friend- it really helps to support my blog. Enjoy!
Chocolate Cornflake Cakes (Old School Crispy Cakes)
Ingredients
- 200 g Milk chocolate (7oz)
- 150 g Cornflakes (5 cups)
- 120 g Unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 4 Tablespoons Golden syrup
To top:
- 4-5 Tablespoons Cake sprinkles or mini candies (I used milk chocolate beans from Tesco)
Instructions
- Line a muffin or cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases.
- Break the chocolate into pieces and add it to a saucepan with the butter and golden syrup.
- Place the saucepan over low heat on the stove and stir gently until the butter and chocolate have completely melted.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the Cornflakes. Make sure they are all evenly coated with the chocolate.
- Divide the mixture equally between the 12 cupcake cases then top with sprinkles if using.
- Pop the cakes in the fridge for 1-2 hours to set then enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Store the cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
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