Ho Ho No Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make the Cake: Butter the jelly roll pan and line it with parchment paper; then butter the paper to assure release.
• Bring a saucepan of water to a simmer.
• In the bowl from a standing mixer, combine the eggs, yolks, sugar, vanilla in a bowl and whisk briefly. Set the bowl over the simmering water and stir until warm and the sugar looks dissolved. Attach the bowl to the standing mixer fitted with a whisk, and whip until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking powder 3 times.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and, while folding the egg mixture, sift in the flour mixture, little by little, until incorporated. Drizzle in the clarified butter, while folding the batter.
• Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pans dividing equally and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake until lightly browned and it starts to pull away from the edges of the pan, about 14 to 16 minutes.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and let sit in the pan for 1 minute. Run a knife along the edge to release the cake then flip it out onto parchment paper. Brush the paper (the one you lined the pan with) with water and let soak for 2 minutes. Peel it off the cake. Trim dry edges from the cake. Let cool covered with plastic wrap.
• To make the Filling: In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the sugar and butter and mix on low speed until well blended; then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream for spreading consistency, if needed.
• Spread the sponge cakes with a thin layer of the filling, leaving a 1/4-inch space at the far edge. Roll the cake tightly on the long side until you have rolled a 1 1/2-inch thick log. Cut the log off from the remaining sheet of cake and place seam side-down. Repeat with remaining cake. Chill the logs for 30 minutes; then cut into 2 1/2-inch sections.
• To make the Glaze: Melt the 2 ingredients together in the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. One at a time, gently drop the cake rolls into the hot chocolate. Lift out with a fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Place on the cookie sheet and let set at room temperature until the coating is firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

Steps:

• For filling, in a small saucepan, combine flour and milk until smooth; stir in 1/3 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. , Transfer to a large bowl; cool. Beat in the shortening, butter, vanilla, salt and remaining sugar until smooth. Spread between cake layers., For glaze, melt butter and cocoa in a small saucepan. Whisk in confectioners' sugar and enough milk to achieve a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over top of cake, allowing some to drape down the sides.

Steps:

• Mix together the powdered sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until thick and smooth. Pour the icing into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe 3 parallel horizontal lines an inch apart around the cupcake liners. Pipe vertical lines an inch apart from each other to create a brick pattern (this will be the "chimney"). Let set completely on a serving platter.
• Transfer the white frosting to a pipping bag fitted with a medium round tip and pipe onto the top of each cupcake. Dust with desiccated coconut.
• Skewer the red licorice candies with a toothpick, leaving 1/2 inch of the toothpick exposed on one end. On the exposed end, skewer a halved marshmallow, then a halved chocolate licorice to make the legs. Repeat with the remaining marshmallows and chocolate licorice. Place 2 legs onto each cupcake.

Steps:

• For the cakes: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the interior of a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a mixer, beat the egg yolks with the oil, .5 cup of the sugar and 2 tablespoons water. With the mixer at low speed, add the cake flour mixture and beat until smooth; set aside.
• In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until stiff and glossy. Mix .25 of the whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites until no streaks remain. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them halfway. Bake until risen and lightly firm, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
• For the filling: Using a mixer, beat together the butter, confectioners' sugar and Marshmallow Fluff. Add cream and beat just until smooth. Fit a pastry bag with a round .25-inch tip, and fill bag with all but .25 cup of the filling. (Put the extra .25 cup in a pastry bag fitted with a .125-inch round tip, or in a small Ziplock bag, and reserve.) Plunge the tip into the side of a cupcake, filling just until you feel the cupcake swell. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
• For the frosting: Heat the cream just until bubbles begin to form on the edges of the pan, add the chocolate and remove from heat. Stir until melted and smooth. Add the butter, stirring to combine. Dip the top of a cupcake into the frosting, flip and set aside. Repeat with remaining cupcakes. Allow frosting to set, about 20 minutes.
• With the small pastry bag of filling, or snipping a tiny corner off the Ziplock bag, pipe a tiny squiggle across the top of each cupcake. Place in an airtight container until serving.

Steps:

• Prepare cake mix according to the package directions, substituting coffee for the water called for on the box, if desired. A slightly richer chocolate flavor will result, but no detectable coffee flavor. Beat with mixer on low until all flour is moistened, then beat for 2 minute on medium speed, as directed on the box. Really, any kind of cake mix you desire can be used, just follow the box's directions.
• Divide into 24 paper muffin liners that have been sprayed with non-stick spray for easy removal from cakes. Bake at 325 degrees (25 less than the box calls for) for 18 to 22 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. The lower temperature helps the cakes to remain moist and even topped--a trick I learned from my Wilton class instructor! Remove cakes to a rack to cool.
• In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk until there are no lumps. Heat milk and flour on Medium Low heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens to a gravy consistency. Remove from hot pan into a cool bowl and cover with saran. Allow to cool to room temperature. A cool water bath or refrigeration will speed up this process.
• In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and granulated sugar about 5 minutes. Add cooled milk-flour gravy and beat until fluffy and granulated sugar is dissolved completely, about another 5 minutes. Be sure to scrape your bowl and beater so that the grains of sugar at the top will be beaten in and dissolved. If in doubt, whip more. Now add vanilla and powdered sugar and whip well.
• Once cakes are fully cooled, place filling in a frosting bag with a star tip (I use size 18 or so) and press the tip down into the middle of each cake, about ¾ of an inch deep. Give a good squeeze to the bag, enough to cause the top of the cupcake to rise, but not enough to cause it to crack. If it does crack, don't worry. The buttercream will cover it! Lift out the tip and repeat with each cake. Freshly baked and cooled cupcakes, or cupcakes stored in an airtight container until you are ready to frost them, are less likely to crack.
• Make the buttercream frosting for the cupcake tops by creaming margarine, shortening, flavorings and water until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and meringue powder and beat until combined. Avoid over-beating to retain a smoother frosting.
• Frost tops of cupcakes with buttercream and enjoy! Store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer if you plan on keeping them around for a while. Store any leftover frosting and filling in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freezer as well. Both will keep great for months in the freezer, if they can last that long! Blessings!