Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

Everything you love about hot chocolate and pralines combined into one dessert. These Hot Chocolate Cupcakes are filled with decadent chocolate praline filling encased in a moist chocolate cupcake. The perfect dessert for the holiday season featuring marshmallows and candy canes.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword hot chocolate cupcakes

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 21

Total Time 1 21

Servings servings

Calories 464kcal

Author Jessica (swankyrecipes.com)

Ingredients

1¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
⅔ cup cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
¾ cup buttermilk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅓ cup Tony Chachere's Praline Honey Ham Injectable Marinade You'll need about 1 17 oz. bottle for the entire recipe
⅓ cup strongly brewed hot coffee

Chocolate Praline Filling

¼ cup cold water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¾ cup chopped pecans
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup Tony Chachere's Praline Honey Ham Injectable Marinade

Hot Chocolate Frosting

¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3¾ cup powdered confectioners' sugar
9 ounces cream cheese softened
¾ cup vegetable shortening
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ tablespoon Tony Chachere's Praline Honey Ham Injectable Marinade

Topping

Candy canes crushed
mini marshmallows
chocolate sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with 18 paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk in buttermilk, oil, vanilla extract, and Tony Chachere’s Praline Honey Ham.
Whisk in flour mixture then whisk in hot coffee until smooth.
Divide cupcake batter equally between paper cups; about 2/3 to the top. Bake in oven for 19-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes then place on cooling rack in refrigerator.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together cornstarch and water. Turn heat to medium then whisk in chopped pecans, brown sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and Tony Chachere’s Praline Honey Ham. Frequently whisk mixture; about 7 minutes. Allow to cool at room temperature; about 10 minutes. Place saucepan in refrigerator to thicken; about 40 minutes or overnight.
In a large bowl fit with a mixer, beat butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in cream cheese and shortening in chunks until smooth. Beat in cocoa powder. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula then beat in Tony Chachere’s Praline Honey Ham. Cover bowl and refrigerate until nearly hard.
To fill each cupcake with chocolate praline filling, use the back of a piping tip inserted into the center of the cupcake to remove a small portion of cake or use a wooden spatula to press cake down. Add 1 teaspoon filling into center.
To pipe cupcakes, fill a pastry bag with frosting and a tip. I used a Russian ball tip to frost but any piping tip can be used.
Refrigerate cupcakes then top with mini marshmallows, crushed candy canes, and chocolate sprinkles.

Video

Nutrition