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Santa Hat Cupcakes with White Chocolate Ganache and Fresh Strawberries Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 146 reviews

Delight in these festive Santa Hat Cupcakes featuring rich chocolate cupcakes topped with a fluffy white chocolate ganache and a fresh strawberry to resemble Santa’s iconic hat. Perfect for holiday celebrations, these cupcakes combine a moist cocoa base with a creamy, luscious topping that’s sure to impress.

Ingredients

Scale

Cupcakes

  • 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

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

Assembly

  • Fresh strawberries (hulled and similar size)

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners to prepare for baking.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until fully combined.
  3. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the room temperature eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract together until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
  4. Add Sour Cream: Stir in the sour cream until the mixture is well combined and creamy.
  5. Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gently add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix carefully, avoiding overmixing to keep the batter light.
  6. Add Hot Liquid: Pour in hot coffee or hot water and stir until the batter is smooth and slightly thin, ensuring proper consistency.
  7. Fill Cupcake Liners: Evenly distribute the batter among the cupcake liners, filling each about three-quarters full to allow room for rising.
  8. Bake the Cupcakes: Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before decoration.
  9. Prepare White Chocolate Ganache: Place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat ½ cup of heavy cream until it just begins to simmer, then pour it over the white chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes.
  10. Mix Ganache: Stir the white chocolate and cream mixture until smooth, then add vanilla extract and a pinch of salt for flavor enhancement.
  11. Add Remaining Cream: Stir in the remaining ½ cup of cold heavy cream to the ganache mixture. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours until thickened but still soft.
  12. Whip Ganache: Using an electric mixer, whip the chilled ganache until it becomes light and fluffy, being careful to stop before it turns grainy or over-whipped.
  13. Assemble Cupcakes: Pipe a generous swirl of the whipped ganache onto each cooled cupcake as frosting.
  14. Add Strawberry Hat: Place a hulled fresh strawberry with the tip pointing upwards in the center of each cupcake to mimic the shape of Santa’s hat.
  15. Finish Decoration: Add a small dot of whipped ganache on the tip of each strawberry to create the fluffy pom-pom effect, completing the Santa hat look.

Notes

  • Ensure eggs are at room temperature for better batter consistency.
  • Use hot coffee for a richer chocolate flavor, or hot water as a caffeine-free alternative.
  • Do not overmix the batter to avoid dense cupcakes.
  • Chill the ganache for full thickening before whipping to achieve the correct texture.
  • Choose strawberries of similar size for uniform cupcake decoration.
  • Store cupcakes in the refrigerator if not serving immediately to keep ganache fresh.

Keywords: Santa Hat Cupcakes, Holiday Cupcakes, Christmas Cupcakes, White Chocolate Ganache, Festive Treats, Chocolate Cupcakes, Strawberry Topped Cupcakes

Find it online: https://recipeswithmia.com/santa-hat-cupcakes-with-white-chocolate-ganache-and-fresh-strawberries-recipe/