Hot Cocoa Cupcakes
MAKES 24 CUPCAKES | LEVEL: BEGINNER
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These holiday beauties will be the life of any holiday party! Use red cupcake liners, or holiday baking cups. I use the Black Magic Cake recipe for these, with a cream cheese frosting. How fun are these!?
Cupcake Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 unsweetened baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup strong black coffee, or 2 teaspoons espresso powder or instant coffee granules dissolved in 1 cup boiling water, slightly cooled
1 cup buttermilk, or sour milk (1 Tablespoon white vinegar with enough whole milk added to equal 1 cup)
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Line two standard-sized muffin pans with red or holiday-festive paper cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer on low speed, blend sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. The batter will be thin.
- Fill lined muffin cups ⅔ to ¾ of the way full. Leave room for rising. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 10-15 minutes. Remove from muffin pans and cool on a wire rack.
Vanilla Frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
2 – 4 Tablespoons milk
7. In the mixer bowl or a large bowl, combine butter, salt, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Mix on medium speed until the butter mixture is fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Turning the mixer off in between each addition, add about a half cup of powdered sugar at a time, starting on low speed, increasing to medium speed once all the sugar has been incorporated.
8. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time while the mixer is running, until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
For decorating your Hot Cocoa Cupcakes, you will also need:
Mini marshmallows (approximately 75)
Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, approximately ⅓ cup
24 small mini candy canes, plus 10-12, crushed
9. Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, frost each cupcake, and turn it into a “mug” by hooking one small candy cane into the top along one of the edges. Place 3 mini marshmallows into the frosting, and sprinkle mini chocolate chips and crushed candy cane pieces over the top.
Makes 24-26 cupcakes.
Pro tip:
Feel free to frost the cupcakes using a butter knife, but for a true “whipped cream” look, use a pastry bag and a large, star tip and squeeze frosting from the outer edges inward towards the center. I use Wilton 12″ piping bags, and an Ateco #826 large star tip.