Halloween is TOMORROW! 😀 I am juuuuust getting this spooky recipe in under the wire! That said, these High Hat Cupcakes are certainly a delicious treat year-round!
These High Hat Cupcakes are super moist (sorry not sorry), super chocolatey, frosted SKY-HIGH with vanilla buttercream, then dipped in chocolate! It's an over-the-top treat, for certain, but just to make sure, I added some spooky marshmallow "webs," too!
There are a couple of interesting ingredients in the cake recipe, the first of which is coffee. The cake won't taste like coffee, I swear! The coffee enhances the chocolate flavor, and I highly recommend it! If you would prefer not to, you can use hot water instead.
You'll also see vinegar in the list of ingredients. This may seem like a strange ingredient in a cake, but SCIENCE! The vinegar reacts with the baking soda (think second grade science volcano project), which gives your cake a lighter, fluffier texture. You won't taste the vinegar. That said, if you don't have white vinegar, consider taste in what you substitute. Apple cider vinegar would be a good fit, but your aged balsamic would likely lend a strange flavor.
Last, but most definitely not least, I highly recommend using chocolate extract in this recipe! It lends an amazing depth of flavor to chocolate baked goods! If you can't find it in your local grocery store, you can find some [here]. Even better, makes yourself some [Homemade Chocolate Extract] for next time!
The buttercream is a simple (and delicious) vanilla American buttercream. This recipe makes a LOT, but you'll need it to make those sky-high swirls!
Speaking of swirls, I used a 1M tip to pipe my buttercream for the Halloween cupcakes. I like the way the 1M tip made the frosting look after being dipped in chocolate. However, I thought a round tip might be better for avoiding gaps in the frosting, so that's what I went with for Valentine's Day. Oh, and I ditched the webs because...Valentine's Day.
The downside to the round tip is that you end up with frosting that looks shockingly like a poop emoji. I added some sprinkles so it was harder to tell! 😀
Check out the recipe for details on dipping the buttercream in chocolate and making the marshmallow spider webs! It's a highly entertaining endeavor for your kiddos to help with, too (just be prepared for the inevitable cleanup)! Happy Halloween, everybody! I hope you have a super SWEET time!!
Other posts you may like:
Dark Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Italian Buttercream
Cake and buttercream recipes adapted from Brown Eyed Baker (link here).
High Hat Cupcakes
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup dutch process unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup hot coffee (see note)
- ¾ cup flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoon white vinegar (see note)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon chocolate extract (see note)
Vanilla Buttercream:
- 2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature (4 sticks)
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon heavy (whipping) cream
Dipping Chocolate:
- 12 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
Marshmallow Webs:
- 8 jumbo marshmallows (or 2 cups mini marshmallows)
Instructions
For Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350F (see note). Line muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a medium heatproof bowl, combine chopped chocolate and cocoa powder. Pout hot coffee over the top (see note) and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate chocolate mixture for 20 minutes.
- In a medium heatproof bowl, combine chopped chocolate and cocoa powder. Pout hot coffee over the top (see note) and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate chocolate mixture for 20 minutes.
- Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside.
- After chilling 20 minutes, remove chocolate mixture from the refrigerator. Add oil, eggs, vinegar (see note), vanilla extract, and chocolate extract, whisking until smooth.
- Add chocolate mixture to flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Divide batter among 12 muffin cups. Each will be about ¾ full. Bake 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.)
- Cool cakes 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
For Buttercream:
- Cream room temperature butter and sifted powdered sugar until well mixed and smooth.
- Add vanilla extract and cream. If the buttercream is too thin, you can add more powdered sugar to thicken it. If it seems too stiff, more cream can be added until the buttercream is the desired consistency.
- Pipe the buttercream on the cooled cupcakes in tall swirls. Place the frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the chocolate.
For Chocolate:
- Place chopped chocolate and vegetable oil in a heatproof container. You want the container to be both wide enough and deep enough to dip the buttercream.
- Warm the chocolate mixture in the microwave for 30-second bursts, stirring after each, until the mixture is smooth. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly (about 10 minutes) before dipping chilled cupcakes.
For Webs:
- Place marshmallows in a heatproof bowl and microwave for 20-30 seconds or until puffed. Stir.
- Dip fingertips into the melted marshmallows and stretch the "webs" between your fingertips and over the cupcakes. You may need a second set of hands to hold the cupcakes steady while you apply the webs. It's so messy and so fun!Enjoy!
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