Let It Snow Chocolate Cupcakes

This delightful recipe not only satisfies your sweet tooth but also brings a touch of winter magic to your kitchen.

Nothing sounds better on a snow day than sinking your teeth into the rich, chocolaty goodness of these cupcakes. You know we love to keep things festive and themed here. When "winter is coming", so is the urge to cuddle up on the couch, binging something from your watchlist, have a nice warm beverage by your side, and a delicious sweet treat!

Enjoy a winter wonderland on your plate when you serve these Let It Snow Chocolate Cupcakes. The best part is the finishing touch, bringing the magic of winter to these cupcakes with a dusting of powdered sugar on top of your chocolate buttercream frosting. Your cupcakes will transform into a snowy landscape, ready to evoke the joy and wonder of the season.

Enjoy!

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Let It Snow Chocolate Cupcakes

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Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

• 2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ cup cocoa powder

• 2 eggs

• ½ cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, at room temperature​ or palm shortening

• 1 cup of cane sugar

• ½ cup milk of choice (we used almond milk)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

• 1 cup milk of choice (we used almond milk)

• 5 tablespoons finely ground sweet rice flour or rice flour (we used Bob’s Red Mill brown rice flour)

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

• pinch of salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter or butter substitute

• 1 cup cane sugar

• 5 tablespoons cocoa powder

• powdered sugar, for topping

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Directions

For the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 12-cupcake pan with cupcake papers and set aside.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and cocoa powder with a whisk. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer or using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, blend the butter/palm shortening until smooth and creamy. Then add in the eggs and sugar. Beat for about 1 to 2 minutes to whip it until it is light and fluffy. This will add air to the mixture.

4. Add in the vanilla and oil and give the wet mixture a quick stir. Once those are incorporated, add in the flour mixture and mix until you have a smooth batter.

5. Divide the batter among the 12 liners in your prepared pan, filling each cup 3/4 of the way.

6. Bake for 22 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test (insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean). Remove from the oven and allow cooling for a few minutes. Then transfer the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack. Let the cupcakes cool fully before decorating!

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For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk the flour into the milk. Stir constantly over the heat until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Set the saucepan aside to let the mixture cool to room temperature - this is very important because if you don't let it fully cool, the end result will be lumpy and will separate.

2. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter/butter substitute and sugar together. Add in the cocoa powder and beat to combine.

3. Switch the paddle to a whisk, add the cooled milk-flour mixture, and beat until it resembles whipped cream.

For the Assembly:

1. Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a knife to carve out a small hole in the center of each cupcake.

2. Fill your decorating tool with frosting, and pipe the frosting into the hollow center of the cupcake. Once filled, continue the motion from the center and swirl around the cupcake until covered. For a video tutorial, watch here!

3. After piping, sprinkle powdered sugar over the cupcakes to create a "snowy" look. I used a flour sifter, but this can be done using a small mesh strainer or a fork. *Only do this right before serving, otherwise, the sugar will dissolve into the frosting*