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Santa Hat Cupcakes Recipe

Santa Hat Cupcakes Recipe
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★★★★★

5 from 20 reviews

These festive Santa Hat Cupcakes combine rich chocolate cupcakes with silky white chocolate ganache and fresh strawberries to create a delightful and visually stunning holiday treat perfect for Christmas parties or seasonal celebrations.

Ingredients

Scale

Cupcake Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup hot coffee or hot water

White Chocolate Ganache Ingredients

  • 8 oz white chocolate (chopped)
  • 1 cup heavy cream (divided)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Assembly

  • Fresh strawberries (hulled, similar size)

Instructions

  1. Preheat and prepare pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners to ensure easy removal after baking.
  2. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This helps distribute the leavening and cocoa evenly.
  3. Combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract together until smooth and glossy for a well-emulsified base.
  4. Add sour cream: Stir in the sour cream to add moisture and tanginess, creating a tender crumb in the cupcakes.
  5. Incorporate dry ingredients: Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Be careful not to overmix to avoid dense cupcakes.
  6. Add hot coffee or water: Pour in the hot coffee (or hot water) and stir until the batter becomes smooth and slightly thin, which enhances the chocolate flavor and moisture.
  7. Fill cupcake liners: Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about three-quarters full to give room for rising.
  8. Bake: Bake for 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before decorating.
  9. Prepare ganache: Place the chopped white chocolate into a heatproof bowl.
  10. Heat cream: Heat 1/2 cup of heavy cream just until it starts to simmer, then pour over the white chocolate. Let it sit for 2 minutes to melt the chocolate.
  11. Stir ganache: Stir the mixture gently until smooth and glossy.
  12. Add flavoring: Mix in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to enhance flavor balance.
  13. Incorporate remaining cream: Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cold heavy cream and stir until fully combined.
  14. Chill ganache: Cover and chill the ganache for 2–3 hours until thickened but still soft enough to whip.
  15. Whip ganache: Using an electric mixer, whip the ganache until light and fluffy, making sure to stop before it becomes grainy.
  16. Decorate cupcakes: Pipe a generous swirl of the whipped ganache onto each cooled cupcake to resemble the base of Santa’s hat.
  17. Add strawberry hat: Place a fresh strawberry with the tip pointing upwards onto the ganache swirl to simulate the Santa hat top.
  18. Finish decoration: Add a small dot of whipped ganache on the tip of each strawberry to create the fluffy pom-pom of the Santa hat.

Notes

  • Using hot coffee instead of water intensifies the chocolate flavor of the cupcakes.
  • Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before decorating to prevent ganache from melting.
  • Chill the ganache long enough to reach the ideal whipping consistency; otherwise, it can become too stiff or runny.
  • Choose strawberries of similar size for uniform cupcake decoration and presentation.
  • For a dairy-free alternative, substitute vegetable-based cream and white chocolate suitable for vegan diets.

Nutrition

Keywords: Santa Hat Cupcakes, Christmas cupcakes, holiday cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, white chocolate ganache, festive desserts

Find it online: https://reemcook.com/santa-hat-cupcakes-recipe/