Description
These Groundhog Day Cupcakes are a fun and festive treat perfect for celebrating the holiday. Featuring rich chocolate cupcakes with a smooth cocoa buttercream frosting, they are decorated with mini chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers, orange fondant, and pretzels to resemble playful groundhogs. Moist, chocolatey, and charmingly decorated, these cupcakes make a delightful dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcake Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup boiling water
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp heavy cream (or milk)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Decorations
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (for eyes)
- 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers (for the ground)
- 1/2 cup orange fondant or orange-colored candy (for the nose)
- 1-2 pretzel sticks (for paws)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners to prevent sticking and make removal easy.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk thoroughly until the mixture is well blended, ensuring even distribution of leavening agents and cocoa.
- Prepare Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract together until the mixture is smooth and homogenous, which helps incorporate air for a lighter cupcake texture.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined to avoid overmixing, which can make cupcakes dense.
- Add Boiling Water: Gradually add the boiling water to the batter while mixing. The batter will be thin and runny, but this is normal and results in moist cupcakes.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Evenly pour the batter into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full to allow for rising during baking without overflow.
- Bake: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, indicating doneness.
- Cool Cupcakes: Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, which prevents sogginess and prepares them for frosting and decoration.
Notes
- Make sure not to overmix the batter to keep the cupcakes tender.
- Boiling water thins the batter but yields a moist cupcake.
- Use room temperature butter for smoother frosting.
- Decorate cupcakes once they are completely cooled to prevent frosting from melting.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
