My birthday just passed, but I wanted to make something sweet to share with my friends. Since it is fall I wanted a fall-ish (Is that a word?) recipe that also looked good and tasted better. Hot chocolate cupcakes fit both requirements!
Of course you can make these full size, but because of the amount I needed to make I made mini cupcakes. I was super excited because at Safeway the only cute cupcake liners were normal sized, but at Michael's I found these super cute plaid mini ones! I thought the red plaid was super adorable!
These were so much fun to make too, and although putting the "handle" on was much more difficult than I'd like to admit it was definitely worth it. I topped the cupcakes with Ashlyn from belleofthekitchen.com 's marshmallow buttercream, and although I changed the recipe a little, the cake part was also adapted from her site.
The peppermint and chocolate chips on the top also added some flair that made the cupcakes even more beautiful. And one more thing. If you have never used edible glitter before, USE IT! It looks so pretty on top of pretty much any type of cake, and I always get compliments on it. For this recipe I used red edible glitter, but I'm sure white or silver would also look gorgeous.
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
2 cups all purpose flour (I used 1 1/2 cups all purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat to add nutritional value)
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda (cut the amount in half for high altitude)
1 teaspoon baking powder (also cut this amount in half for high altitude)
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 cup hot water
30 mini candy canes (cut off the curved part for a handle, crush the rest)
mini chocolate chips (at least 1/4 cup)
For the marshmallow buttercream:
3/4 cup butter, softened (unsalted or salted)
7 oz container marshmallow creme
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For topping:
mini marshmallows
edible glitter in color of your choice (optional, but not really)
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line four mini muffin pans or two full sized muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.
2. In a large bowl fitted with an electric mixer attachment, add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder, mixing well. For the cocoa powder I added a little less than some people like, so feel free to add more. I wouldn't advise using more than 1/2 cup though.
3. Add vanilla, eggs, buttermilk, and canola oil. After mixing add hot water (the batter will be pretty thin). Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. I got lazy and left some cocoa powder too chunky, which gave the finished product some darker spots, but didn't affect taste.
4. Pour batter into prepared muffin pans, about 1/2-3/4 full.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before continuing.
6. To prepare the candy canes use a sharp knife to cut off the curved part of the candy canes for the mug's "handle". Tip: Use a large knife, and cut using the part of the blade closest to the handle to prevent breaking.
7. Set aside the "handles" in a bag, then place the remaining candy cane pieces into a quart (or gallon) sized plastic bag. Beat with a rolling pin or something similar until you reach the desired coarseness (this will be sprinkled on top).
8. After cupcakes are completely cooled melt 1/4 cup chocolate chips in the microwave.
9. Dip the ends of the candy cane "handles" in the melted chocolate, then place on the
cupcakes. I found the best way to prevent the handles from sliding off was to arrange rows, with every other row facing sideways (shown in image to the right). Allow chocolate to harden fully before frosting.
10. To make the frosting, beat butter over medium to high speed of an electric mixer until creamy.
11. Add the marshmallow creme, beating until combined. Finally, add the powdered sugar and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Pipe onto the cupcakes using a frosting bag fitted with a star shaped piping tip (or piping tip of your choice).
12. Top the cupcakes with crushed candy canes, mini chocolate chips, edible glitter, and one mini marshmallow on top. Enjoy within two-three days after baking!
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