So.... I have decided to enter the Mystery Box Cupcake Challenge for the second time (check out the official rules here)! The ingredient this time was Popcorn. I thought about popcorn, and wondered how it could possibly be good in a cupcake! Then I really thought about popcorn... and said to myself... it COULD be versatile, right? I will give it a try! So, I decided to use popcorn in a "Hot" Cocoa Cupcake. I used to LOVE to dip my popcorn in my hot cocoa... I had big dreams for my cupcake. I wanted a hot cocoa cupcake with popcorn and i wanted it in a mug, just like a real cup of hot cocoa with a dollop of whipped cream and maybe a few marshmallows to top it all off! Well, I had to make some adjustments, but I think I came up with something that I can live with and tastes AMAZING!
First of all, I only had one mug in my house that I thought I could bake in, and it was way too big for a cupcake, and I started off with the idea that I was going to make my own popcorn flour, but my food processor didn't grind it into a powdery flour like I had hoped. I still used the "flour" that I made, but I couldn't substitute all of the flour for the popcorn flour like I wanted to (to really incorporate the popcorn into the cupcake). Of course, I think cupcakes are best eaten warm - especially with this being a hot cocoa cupcake and all, but although I would love to eat warm cupcakes all the time that's not always the case. So, I decided to add my own "hot" to hot cocoa by adding a little chili powder. I searched several recipes and finally found one from Cupcake Villains Strike Again that I could adapt into my own Popcorn Hot Cocoa Cupcake or as I like to call them
"Hot" Popped Cocoa-cakes
The texture of these is so light and fluffy and they are so moist... when they were warm it was almost like eating a cup of hot cocoa! Then I added the frosting, and whipped cream so I had to refrigerate them. They were just as good, no, BETTER when I ate them straight from the fridge. I REALLY enjoyed these cupcakes and I will be making them again!
Here is the recipe I used.
Makes 12 cupcakes
1 C. granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 C. 2% milk
1/4 C. coconut milk
1/4 C. vegetable oil
1 t. vanilla extract
3/4 C. all purpose flour
1/3 C. popcorn flour
1/3 C + 1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 C. hot cocoa, prepared, boiling (make a mug of your favorite hot cocoa, add some popcorn, enjoy, but save 1/2 cup for the recipe - straining out the popcorn kernels and boiling it before adding it to the batter)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 standard cupcake pans with liners, or coat with non-stick cooking spray. In the large bowl, stir together the sugar, eggs, milk, coconut milk, oil and vanilla, until blended.
2. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and chili powder, and gradually add to the sugar mixture, until the mixture begins to come together. Be sure to NOT over mix!
3. Very slowly, add the boiling hot cooa, and blend until the mixture is smooth. This batter is VERY runny, I was afraid it wasn't going to set up in the oven, but it did and yielded an AMAZING cupcake!
4. Ladle or scoop the batter into the cupcake tins, filling ¾ full. Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Filling: Marshmallow Fluff
Topping: A layer of Chocolate Truffle Frosting* to simulate the foam on top of a cup of cocoa, with a dollop of real whipped cream and chocolate-drizzled popcorn to top it off!
*Chocolate Truffle Frosting (this made JUST enough to frost 12 cupcakes)
1/2 C. coconut milk (or 1/2 C. whipping cream) - I just used leftover coconut milk from my cupcake recipe
1 C. milk chocolate chips.
Bring coconut milk to a boil in a small saucepan. Add Chocolate chips and remove from heat. Wait 5 minutes, then stir until well blended. Cover and chill overnight. Beat with an electric mixer for 30 seconds until fluffy and spreading consistency.
VOTE HERE!! (starting 1/21/11)
The winner of January’s Mystery Box Cupcake Challenge will receive prizes from:
First of all, I only had one mug in my house that I thought I could bake in, and it was way too big for a cupcake, and I started off with the idea that I was going to make my own popcorn flour, but my food processor didn't grind it into a powdery flour like I had hoped. I still used the "flour" that I made, but I couldn't substitute all of the flour for the popcorn flour like I wanted to (to really incorporate the popcorn into the cupcake). Of course, I think cupcakes are best eaten warm - especially with this being a hot cocoa cupcake and all, but although I would love to eat warm cupcakes all the time that's not always the case. So, I decided to add my own "hot" to hot cocoa by adding a little chili powder. I searched several recipes and finally found one from Cupcake Villains Strike Again that I could adapt into my own Popcorn Hot Cocoa Cupcake or as I like to call them
"Hot" Popped Cocoa-cakes
The texture of these is so light and fluffy and they are so moist... when they were warm it was almost like eating a cup of hot cocoa! Then I added the frosting, and whipped cream so I had to refrigerate them. They were just as good, no, BETTER when I ate them straight from the fridge. I REALLY enjoyed these cupcakes and I will be making them again!
Here is the recipe I used.
Makes 12 cupcakes
1 C. granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 C. 2% milk
1/4 C. coconut milk
1/4 C. vegetable oil
1 t. vanilla extract
3/4 C. all purpose flour
1/3 C. popcorn flour
1/3 C + 1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 C. hot cocoa, prepared, boiling (make a mug of your favorite hot cocoa, add some popcorn, enjoy, but save 1/2 cup for the recipe - straining out the popcorn kernels and boiling it before adding it to the batter)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 standard cupcake pans with liners, or coat with non-stick cooking spray. In the large bowl, stir together the sugar, eggs, milk, coconut milk, oil and vanilla, until blended.
2. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and chili powder, and gradually add to the sugar mixture, until the mixture begins to come together. Be sure to NOT over mix!
3. Very slowly, add the boiling hot cooa, and blend until the mixture is smooth. This batter is VERY runny, I was afraid it wasn't going to set up in the oven, but it did and yielded an AMAZING cupcake!
4. Ladle or scoop the batter into the cupcake tins, filling ¾ full. Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Filling: Marshmallow Fluff
Topping: A layer of Chocolate Truffle Frosting* to simulate the foam on top of a cup of cocoa, with a dollop of real whipped cream and chocolate-drizzled popcorn to top it off!
*Chocolate Truffle Frosting (this made JUST enough to frost 12 cupcakes)
1/2 C. coconut milk (or 1/2 C. whipping cream) - I just used leftover coconut milk from my cupcake recipe
1 C. milk chocolate chips.
Bring coconut milk to a boil in a small saucepan. Add Chocolate chips and remove from heat. Wait 5 minutes, then stir until well blended. Cover and chill overnight. Beat with an electric mixer for 30 seconds until fluffy and spreading consistency.
VOTE HERE!! (starting 1/21/11)
The winner of January’s Mystery Box Cupcake Challenge will receive prizes from:
- Bake It Pretty; a $5 electronic gift card
- Beanilla; 3 Madagascar, 3 Mexican & 3 Indian vanilla beans
- ExoDesign; a wire whisk charm necklace
- Hello Hanna; a pack of Sweet Stands cupcake stands
- Miss Kitty Creations; a handmade cupcake charm of your choice
- Simply Caked; 600 brown greaseproof cupcake liners
- Sweet Cuppin Cakes; a prize pack worth $25
- Tundra Books; a selection 3 very sweet children’s books
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