Tim Tam biscuits have been a much-loved Kiwi favourite for years. When Shannon from Be My Light Blog and Instagram asked me to collaborate on a project showcasing one of the brand’s new flavours, I was excited to get involved.
As part of a media push for the recently released Tim Tam flavour “Strawberry Champagne” from Arnott’s, Shannon asked me to interpret that taste into a cupcake. The result is a chocolate malt cupcake filled with strawberry goo and finished with a champagne buttercream — a playful nod to the original biscuit.
This recipe produces moist, chocolatey cupcakes with a sweet, fruity centre and a light, boozy frosting. If you don’t have champagne on hand or prefer not to use it, a dry white wine works well as a substitute and still delivers lovely flavour to the buttercream.
If you need a recipe for the strawberry filling, see my Fruit Goo recipe (Strawberry Goo) for the ideal jam-like centre.
- Cupcake
- 175g plain flour
- 30g cocoa powder
- 10g malt powder
- 185g caster sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 75g dark chocolate
- 2 eggs
- 120ml cooled brewed coffee
- 120ml buttermilk
- 105ml neutral oil
- Filling
- Strawberry Goo (see Fruit Goo recipe)
- Topping
- 150g butter, softened
- 360g icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons champagne (or dry white wine)
- Pink food colouring (optional)
- 1 pack Strawberry Champagne Tim Tam biscuits
- Fresh strawberries, to garnish
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (bake). Line a 12-cup cupcake tin with paper cases.
- Roughly chop the dark chocolate in a food processor or by hand. Combine the chopped chocolate with the sifted dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, malt powder, caster sugar and baking soda) in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl or a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs, cooled coffee, buttermilk and oil until well combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until the batter is smooth and evenly combined.
- Pour the batter into a small jug for easier filling. Fill each cupcake case about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 16–20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the cupcakes spring back lightly when touched. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before filling.
- Once cooled, core out the centre of each cupcake and spoon or pipe in the strawberry goo filling.
- To make the buttercream, beat the softened butter in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes until pale and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Sift the icing sugar and add it to the butter in two additions, beating about 3 minutes between each addition until smooth.
- On low speed, add the champagne (or wine) and a drop of pink food colouring. Increase the speed and beat for another minute until the buttercream is light and fluffy. Aim for a very pale pink — a little colouring goes a long way.
- Pipe a swirl of champagne buttercream onto each filled cupcake. Top each with a piece of Strawberry Champagne Tim Tam and a fresh strawberry. For extra indulgence, add a small drizzle of additional strawberry goo over the top.
Enjoy these cupcakes as a playful, grown-up take on the Strawberry Champagne Tim Tam — they balance chocolate, fruit and a subtle boozy note for an elegant treat.