hot chocolate cupcakes

Mug Cake Meets Cupcake: Get Your Hot Chocolate Fix in Every Bite

Tips

meringue tips

Meringue can be daunting but trust me its not that bad! Follow these tips of a flawless hassle free guide to meringue.

What is meringue? Meringue is a dessert topping made from whipped egg whites and sugar.  For this recipe we will be making a Swiss Meringue. This is made by gently heating egg whites and sugar over a double boiler. Then whipping them until stiff peaks form.

The most important thing for a good meringue is to make sure there is NO yolk in your egg whites. I mean NONE. If there is a speck of it either won’t stiffen or it will fall shortly after. Take the time to carefully separate your egg whites from your egg yolks. Even remove the chalaza, the white spec that comes in most eggs. We just want egg whites.

Make sure you bring the egg whites and sugar to temperature. You will be heating your egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a double boiler. This is to melt the sugar and create a homogeneous mixture that we’ll then whip.

Secondly, make sure your equipment is clean. The bowl you use shouldn’t be greasy this will make it harder for peaks to form. Everything should be dry as well.

storage

Unfortunately because we’re using meringue as a topping storage is tricky. First and foremost, I recommend topping the cupcakes you plan on eating right away. This will give you the best results.

Meringue can hold at room temperature for 6 -8 hours but after that it can get dicey. Your meringue will deflate, or even melt. Leaving a sticky mess all over your cupcakes. Again, top whatever you plan on eating. If you don’t think you’ll consume 24 cupcakes, reduce the recipe to make it more manageable.

hot chocolate cupcakes

Preparation Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Serving size:: 24

Gather

chocolate ganache

• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons hot chocolate mix

cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup neutral vegetable oil
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 cup hot coffee

Meringue topping

• 5 egg whites
• 1½ cups white sugar
• ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Follow

hot chocolate ganache

1. Chop up the chocolate chips as best you can, and place in a heatproof bowl.
2. Heat the heavy cream and hot cocoa mix in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it begins to simmer. Whisk to combine.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips. Place plastic wrap loosely over the bowl. Let sit for 2 minutes. Stir until the mixture is smooth and all the ingredients are combined.
4. Place plastic wrap over the bowl; let the wrap touch the ganache to prevent a skin from forming. Place in the fridge until it’s fully chilled and firmed, 20 to 30 minutes.

chocolate Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. 
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, add the vegetable oil, sugar and eggs, adding eggs one at a time. Combine until the mixture begins to lighten, 2 to 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract.
4. Add in the sour cream and mix until combined. Be sure your coffee is ready. Change the attachment to the paddle.
5. Combine the dry ingredients and coffee into the sugar mixture by alternating the two, starting and ending with dry. You can do this in halves or thirds. (Be sure to keep your stand mixer on low to avoid splashback from the coffee.)
6. Prepare a cupcake pan with preferred papers. Scoop in the batter, filling until ¾ full.
7. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before filling with ganache.

Assembly & Meringue topping

1. Use a small knife or corer to poke a hole into the top of the cooled cupcake. The hole should be big enough to fit your pinky or ring finger. It should only go ¾ through the cupcake.
2. Using a piping or zip-close bag, pipe the ganache into each cupcake, until level with the top of the cupcake.
3. Make the meringue: Create a double boiler. Place a few inches of water into a sauce pot. Put a heatproof bowl over it. Be sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Place the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl. The heat should be high enough to keep the water at a constant simmer but not a boil.
4. Whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved and mixture has thinned out, about 4 minutes. (The mixture will be thick and tacky at first, then thins out and appears frothy on top. If using a thermometer, the temperature should read 160 degrees.)
5. Remove from heat. Add the vanilla extract. Then slowly pour into a stand mixer bowl (or separate bowl if using a hand mixer). Start whisking on low-medium speed before increasing speed to high, whisking until stiff peaks form, about 5 to 8 minutes.
6. Pipe or dollop the meringue onto the cooled cupcakes. 
7. To store leftovers: The cupcakes can be held at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours. After that, it’s best to refrigerate or else the topping will begin to wilt. For best taste, texture and appearance, I do not recommend freezing. To preserve the meringue for a longer period of time after it’s on the cupcake, I recommend placing plastic wrap over the meringue topping.