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 been using this recipe for years. Always a hit. I have tried to find other chocolate cake/cupcake recipes and none can compare to this one. It’s my go-to chocolate cake or cupcake recipe. Thanks
These look amazing! Can I used semi-sweet chocolate chips for the chocolate dip, or is it important that I use a chopped chocolate bar?
I made the frosting twice and both times it turned out with undissolved sugar grains in it, making the texture quite grainy. I first though it was maybe I didn’t reach 160 degrees the first time, but the second time I did reach that temp and it was still grainy. Any suggestions?
Hi Julia, I would continue to whisk occasionally while it’s heating; they should dissolve, and especially so after beating with mixer.
Thank you, love trying out your recipes, my family loves them, especially the cone cupcakes! You and your family are so very wonderful to to see grow and thanks for share with us.
Hi, can the frosting be made chocolate? Ifeed so, how? The cupcakes are beautiful and I love your recipes!
Thank you!
Hi Toni, Yes, you could! This is my favorite chocolate frosting for cupcakes:
https://www.browneyedbaker.com/best-chocolate-buttercream-cupcakes/
I’ve made this recipe so many times, it’s always a winner! The actual batter is not the usual kinda ingredients but it’s AMAZING, so bouncy and moist. And the topping just looks so professional! Before topping I cut a little of the cake out the centre and filled it with strawberry jelly. Definitely gonna be making them again and again, thanks for the recipe!
Hi there!
I just made the cupcakes and they came out great! However, I’m having a bit of trouble getting the frosting to become stiff. It’s really humid by me today, so I’m pretty sure that’s causing my problem. I was wondering if you thought it would be alright to put the frosting in the fridge for a while to see if that helps stiffen it up a bit. Thanks!
Hi Kaycee, The humidity could definitely be causing you problems, but yes, putting the frosting in the refrigerator can’t hurt!
Wanted to make these since the day they were published. Turned out better than I thought! Mimicked chocolate dipped soft serve perfectly – and they were so tasty. One thing I wondered about before making was what would I do with the leftover chocolate dip. So I cut up some marshmallows, chopped some toasted almonds and poured the left over chocolate on that to create a kind of bark and stuck it in the freezer. Then made a batch of BEB chocolate ice cream, mixed in the bark (which I broke up) and layered in some chocolate sauce for a fudgy swirl. It wasn’t a true Rocky Road… but it was some kind a good! Will definitely make these cupcakes again… great summer time dessert.
I followed the recipe to a “t” and the Hi Hat Cupcakes turned out perfect!! My family was so impressed! My only trouble was on my first few dips, the tips of the frosting lost their shape, so I put the cupcakes back in the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to cool down a little bit more.
Sooo disappointing. The egg mixture never reached 160 (after over an hour, and using multiple thermometers to check the temperature), so at 150+ I decided to try to mix it. It didn’t get fluffy at all. I followed everything exactly and am an experienced baker/cook- what happened? Did anyone else get it to hit 160?
Help! It looked like the frosting was turning out beautifully – getting thick and stiff peaks were forming as I whisked over the simmering water and reached 160 degrees. But when I transferred the mixture to my stand mixer and began mixing it deflated and turned lava-like again. What happened? I allowed it mix for the full time, however it stayed molten. I was able to salvage it but returning it to the stove and bringing it back to 160 degrees while whisking and it eventually turned somewhat stiff again and i piped it straight from there. I’m confused?!
Hi Michelle! Could you use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil for the coating? Congrats on you on you baby. Glad to know he’ll have a sweet tooth!
Hi Margaret, Thank you! Yes, you could use coconut oil… enjoy!
Dear Michelle,
First I should say I’m glad to see your amazing website and also find you as a nice artist. I really appreciate you and admire you for working hard. I had bookmarked your site to use your wonderful and perfect recipes but frankly, I forgot using it and always looked for the favorite recipes on Google till yesterday when Saba, my 8-year-old daughter told me that she wanted kind of chocolate cupcake. That time I remembered your site cause I had found many cupcake recipes on it. As I opened the page I saw this inviting hi-hat cupcake and I told myself: ” that’s it. This is exactly what I want. An attractive one while yummy.” You know for the kids, the look, coloring, design and decoration are so important as the taste. So I started to make it while Saba was at school. It was really delicious as I ate a hot one after getting out of oven at once cause the smell of chocolate and coffee was making me crazy. When she came home and opened the door I took it in front of her eyes and she screamed for joy. Also when Mr. husband came home I welcomed him with one of these fantastic cupcakes beside a cup of white coffee and he also was surprised by the taste. I appreciate you again and again for all perfect recipes you put on your site.
Anyway, apart from my long boring description I had some problems with the frosting and also coating that caused I could not form them as you’ve done. I didn’t have tartar cream handy so I substituted white vinegar for it and I guess because of that my frosting wasn’t as stiff as I expected. The swirls didn’t become so nice. Also I had problem with getting mixture 160 degrees F and after at least 25 minutes over the boiling water it had not changed yet. I mean it didn’t reach higher temperature and it didn’t even simmer while the egg whites were cooking and becoming stiff. So I sifted the stiff egg whites out from the mixture and beat the mixture for about 25-30 minutes. It got stiff but not as it should be. And another problem was with melting chocolate. It melted over the boiling water. I waited for 20 minutes and I stirred it a lot but it wouldn’t become as smooth as I expected so I added some cocoa powder and some hot coffee as your cake’s recipe had said to coat the frosting :) . Well I hope you have a piece of advice to give me!!
Sorry for the boring story but I was surprised to tell you how much my family got glad with your fine recipe.
Rose
Just made these for my 10 year-old’s birthday and they were amazing! Thanks for the recipe, I don’t think I’ve ever seen his eyes so big as when he saw them and I had a lot of fun making them. Definitely have to dip them in the chocolate quickly at the end!