Recipe courtesy of Heather Baird
Recipe courtesy of Heather Baird
Watch how to make this recipe.
Sorting Hat Cupcakes
Getting reviews...
- Level: Easy
- Total: 2 hr 30 min (includes cooling time)
- Active: 1 hr 25 min
- Yield: 20 cupcakes
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 20 servings
- Calories
- 729
- Total Fat
- 36 g
- Saturated Fat
- 19 g
- Carbohydrates
- 102 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 88 g
- Protein
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 85 mg
- Sodium
- 285 mg
These Harry Potter-inspired Sorting Hat Cupcakes are magical treats that combine rich dark chocolate cupcakes with a fun surprise hidden inside. Will you be in Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin? The only way to find out is to take a bite! Topped with butterscotch frosting and chocolate cookie Sorting Hats, these cupcakes are a must-make for any Hogwarts fan.
- Level: Easy
- Total: 2 hr 30 min (includes cooling time)
- Active: 1 hr 25 min
- Yield: 20 cupcakes
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 20 servings
- Calories
- 729
- Total Fat
- 36 g
- Saturated Fat
- 19 g
- Carbohydrates
- 102 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 88 g
- Protein
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 85 mg
- Sodium
- 285 mg
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes:
Marshmallow Creme Filling:
Butterscotch Frosting:
Sorting Hats:
NEW: You can now switch to Cook Mode to keep your screen awake.
Directions
- For the chocolate cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 20 cups of two 12-cup muffin tins with 20 paper liners.
- Combine the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk well to combine. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
- Pour the buttermilk, warm water, sunflower oil and vanilla into the center and mix on medium speed until just combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the bowl and mix again until smooth.
- Fill the prepared cupcake tins 2/3 of the way full; do not overfill. Bake until the cakes spring back when pressed in their centers, 22 to 25 minutes.
- Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes, and then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 25 minutes. Once cooled, use a serrated knife, cupcake corer or melon baller to cut a divot into the center of each cupcake; reserve the cut-out pieces in a bowl.
- For the marshmallow creme filling: Cream the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment on medium-high speed, until lightened and creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar, marshmallow creme and vanilla. Beat on medium low speed until just combined, then increase speed to high and whip for 3 minutes.
- Divide the filling between four small bowls. Tint each bowl with the food color, so that you have all the colors of the Hogwarts houses: red for Gryffindor, yellow for Hufflepuff, blue for Ravenclaw and green for Slytherin.
- Spoon or pipe the marshmallow filling in a pastry bag into the centers of the cupcakes so that you have 5 red-filled, 5 yellow-filled, 5 blue-filled and 5 green-filled cupcakes. Trim the reserved cut-out cupcake pieces to make them flat like a lid and place one over the filling of each cupcake.
- For the butterscotch frosting: Combine the butter and dulce de leche in a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Beat on high speed until creamy and well combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Whip on high speed until fluffy. Add the butterscotch beverage syrup and salt, then beat again on high speed until light and fluffy.
- Transfer 2 cups of the frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round piping tip. Transfer the remaining frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a large, closed star tip (ATECO #856).
- Using the pastry bag fitted with the closed star tip, pipe one large swirl of frosting on top of each cupcake.
- For the sorting hats: Place the cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Using the piping bag fitted with the round tip, pipe an irregular peak of frosting in the center of each cookie. Transfer the baking sheet to the refrigerator to chill until the buttercream is very firm, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the semisweet chips and 4 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat at 100% power in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval until the mixture is melted, smooth and very thin. The mixture should have an almost liquid consistency that easily falls from a spoon. If it’s too thick, add additional oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, until thin and liquid. Let the mixture cool until just barely warm but still pourable, 10 minutes.
- Set a wire rack inside a large baking sheet. Remove the chilled hats from the refrigerator and place them on the wire rack.
- Use a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over the hats until each one is completely covered with chocolate. If you run out of chocolate before all the hats are covered, scrape the excess chocolate from the baking sheet back into the bowl. Reheat the chocolate as needed to a thin pourable consistency. Cover the remaining hats with the chocolate. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill until set, 15 minutes.
- Add star sprinkles on top of the frosted cupcakes. Top each cupcake with a Sorting Hat and a few star sprinkles.
- The cupcakes can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap for up to 4 days.
Cook’s Note
The warm water in the cake portion of this recipe can be from the tap, or microwave 3/4 cup of water for 30 to 45 seconds or until warm. The butterscotch beverage syrup can be substituted with 1/2 cup of butterscotch syrup ice cream topping if needed. Special equipment: two 12-cup muffin tins; 20 paper liners; a stand mixer with whisk and whip attachments
