Hi-Hat Cupcakes
I have been trying to make hi-hat cupcakes for the better part of a year. Seriously.
They are such beautiful cupcakes with their big swirls and chocolate coating, but have been totally elusive to me. I’ve tried countless versions and just couldn’t get the right consistency for the frosting so that it stood tall and didn’t droop into a puddle once it was dipped in the chocolate. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was when these came to fruition last weekend… finally!
There are three key components to hi-hat cupcakes:
1) Chocolate cupcakes (I used my all-time favorite recipe, naturally);
2) A stiff marshmallow frosting; and
3) A magic shell-like chocolate coating.
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These cupcakes always remind me of going to the local soft serve stand as a kid; one of their most popular options was the chocolate-dipped cone. If you replace the cupcake bottom with a cake cone, it’s exactly what those treats looked like.
There’s no better feeling than conquering something that has give you fits, am I right? These fantastic cupcakes were well worth all of the failed attempts; practice makes perfect, as my mom would say!
If you like chocolate, marshmallow frosting and pretty things, you have to make these!
One year ago: Rocky Road Rice Krispies Treats
Two years ago: Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce and Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes
Four years ago: Guacamole
Six years ago: Homemade Pita Bread
Hi Hat Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 3 ounces (85.05 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup (28.67 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¾ cup (177.75 ml) hot coffee
- ¾ cup (93.75 g) bread flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 3 egg whites, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (62.5 ml) water
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) cream of tartar
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Coating:
- 12 ounces (340.2 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin pan with liners. Place the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Pour the hot coffee over the mixture and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate mixture for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Whisk the oil, eggs, vinegar and vanilla extract into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin pan cups. Bake until the cupcakes are set and just firm to the touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pan and place on the wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Make the Frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the sugar, egg whites, water and cream of tartar. Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and whisk until sugar is dissolved and the mixture reaches 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the frosting forms stiff peaks, about 12 to 16 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Transfer the frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch round decorating tip (I used an Ateco #808 tip). Pipe a high swirl of frosting onto the top of each cupcake. Transfer the cupcakes to a baking sheet and refrigerate while preparing the chocolate coating.
- Make the Chocolate Coating: Combine the chocolate and oil in a medium heat-proof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until melted and smooth. Transfer to a small (deep) bowl, and cool to room temperature.
- Holding each cupcake by its bottom, quickly dip each cupcake into the chocolate to coat the frosting, and place on a wire rack. Let the cupcakes stand at room temperature 15 minutes, then refrigerate for 30 minutes uncovered. Place in a covered container and refrigerate 2 additional hours before serving. Cupcakes can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I have just made these and they worked. I had never heard of them before and it was my first attempt at making the topping and pipping. Over the moon. :-) Thank you and I love your blog.
This is the best hi-hat recipe! It’s easy and it came out great. Super smooth and delicious! Everyone who tries it thinks it’s to die for including me! Thanks for publishing!
I have a question about the frosting, can food color be added and if so, at what point? Thanks so much for the recipe, I can’t wait to try these!
Hi Kelly, I haven’t tried it, but I think it would be fine. Add at the end with the vanilla extract.
So, I just made these and loved them! I don’t have cream of tartar, though, and I don’t have a candy thermometer. I considered using lemon juice or vinegar in place of the cream of tartar but decided not to risk changing the flavor. So I just left it out. Then for the temperature issue, I just left it on the double boiler for a really long time and hoped it was good enough. I think my frosting was not quite as stiff as yours, because I did have some problems with the shape collapsing a little when I dipped it, but it mostly stayed! Mine weren’t quite as beautiful as yours, but they still looked pretty good. Thank you for sharing!
Just a couple questions: how long did you double boil it before it reached 160 degrees? I’d like to know an approximate time for next time I make these so I don’t leave them on unnecessarily long! Also, do you think the fact that my frosting wasn’t as stiff as yours was because I left out the cream of tartar, or is it more likely that I simply didn’t whisk it long enough?
Hi Avra, It took a little time to get to 160 degrees, maybe 10 minutes or so. The cream of tartar is important in whipping up stiff peaks, so that could definitely have been it.
I tried to make this frosting 3 different times. Each time it looks stiff in the mixer and goes on the cupcake stiff but then it starts to sink quickly. What am I doing wrong???
Hi Mallary, If it starts to sink as soon as you put it on the cupcake, it’s either not stiff enough to start with, or the room is way too hot.
This recipe wa great for cupcakes but I also used it to make cake!! Same recipe, frosting in the middle (between layers) and chocolate on top!! Was great
@Swetha and Anny- I’ve never tried this myself but I’ve read that you can substitute an equal amount of lemon juice or white vinegar for cream of tartar.
I’ve tried these but they didn’t turn out quite as tall as yours did. I am in another country though so maybe the altitude? They do taste great. I’ve also tried your triple chocolate mousse cake and Oreo Rice Krispie squares. Every recipe worked great and anyone who tried them loved it!
Hi Michelle, can I use powder albumin instead of egg whites ?
Hi Natalie, I’m not sure that would work in this particular recipe, although I’ve never tried it.
Hi michelle! Can I use something else instead of the cream of tartar? It’s hard to find it in Italy. thanks :)
Hi Anny, I’m not sure of a good substitute, unfortunately. It usually helps the egg whites whip up and maintain their texture.
hi michelle,
I was wondering what i could use as a substitute for cream of tartar, because we dont get it in india. :(
Unfortunately, I’m not sure of a good substitute :(
These look incredible, such an amazing idea – I’ll have to try and make them!
I’ve been trying to ignore these cupcakes. I can’t! Last summer I suddenly ‘discovered’ the Dairy Queen that’s not too far from where I live, and what did I buy there, over and over, but chocolate dipped soft serve cones. I confess, it’s my guilty pleasure. And now I keep thinking about these cupcakes!
would i have to make any changes to the ingredients/temp if i wanted to make the cupcakes into a cake (say, in a 9×13 pan)?
Hi Melissa, You would need to double the recipe for a 9×13-inch pan. No change to the temperature, but you will probably need to bake it for a bit longer.
Love! I’ve made mini hi-hat cupcakes, but never full size ones, these looks fantastic!
These look amazing! I was reluctant to click on the recipe since I try to keep the kids eating pretty healthy (ie. no dyes, and most marshmallows from the store have blue dye) but then I saw the ingredient list and everything passes muster! Can’t wait to wow the kids with these, THANKS!!!!
i love all the frosting. they look great!
Wow. These looks so delicious. It’s almost 11:00 pm from where I am and my craving isn’t good. Not good at all. Hahaha.
These are so impressive! I’ve toyed with the idea of hi-hat cupcakes for…3+ years but am too intimidated to try. This recipe looks great!
MMMMmmm all that frosting! I need to try that frosting recipe. These look prefect! Perfect shell!
omggg delish!!!
http://www.glamgypsy.bigcartel.com
Can share what is the weight in grams for the following:
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
⅓ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
¾ cup hot coffee
¾ cup bread flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
Thank you.
These are gorgeous, love the hi-hat topping!
Thank u for sharing you recipes this is the 3rd cup cake of your that I have made all wrer fab. My marshmallow frosting didn’t stay nice and high like yours can u take a guess,As to what I did wrong should i whisk for a little longer next time ? The cup still look very nice just not so high but oh my soooooo good :)
Hi Judith, You just want to be sure to whisk long enough so that the frosting holds stiff peaks when you lift the beater out of the bowl.
Wow, those are so cute! And it sounds like they would’ve tasted amazing too. I’ll have to try that using your tips soon.
Oh, yes, yes, and yes! I was going to say, chocolate and coconut oil makes a perfect shell but you seem to have conquered the magic shell!
Hi Michelle , is there any possible way I could adapt marshmallow fluff
To use for this frosting ?? I know it’s a long shot but is there any hope ?
Hi Humairah, I’m not aware of a way to use marshmallow fluff in the actual frosting, since you’re essentially making a stiff homemade marshmallow frosting.
Would you recommend replacing the marshmallow frosting with a jar of marshmallow fluff? Or should I just commit and make the frosting recipe because of too many unknowns using the fluff?
Hi Amie, I’m not sure that the fluff will stay stiff enough; it tends to be a little droopy.
These are my favorite cupcakes but I’ve never had a recipe till now! Thank you so much. I’m going to be making these REALLY soon.
Wow these truly are perfectly beautiful! I have been wanting to make high hat cupcakes for a long time as well but am convinced the frosting will fall off when I dip them haha. I will have to get up the nerve to try them soon!