Toffee Hi-Hat Cupcakes with Candy Corn Frosting

Toffee Hi-Hat Cupcakes with Candy Corn Frosting

I had some toffee to get rid of, and I really do like making hi-hat cupcakes.

Cupcakes:

3/4 cup cocoa powder

3/4 hot water

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) butter

2 1/4 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Stir together cocoa powder and water in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda in another bowl and set aside.

Melt butter and sugar together in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until combined. Move to a mixing bowl and beat until cool (this takes a while). Add eggs, one at a time, beating until mixed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture. Alternate in flour and sour cream. Stir until just combined.

Fill cupcake tins 3/4 of the way full. Bake 10 minutes, turn, and bake 10 minutes. Let cool.

Makes 38.

Frosting:

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cup (about one bag) candy corn

1 stick butter

3-4 cups xxx sugar

Melt together candy corn and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. The mixture will be bright orange and look grainy but feel smooth when you rub some between your fingers. Let it cool a little.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter. Sift in xxx sugar, then add candy corn mixture and beat until it reaches a piping texture. This may require more sugar, depending.

Pipe a tall spiral on top of each cupcake. Then transfer cupcakes to the freezer for about half an hour.

To finish:

1 bag milk chocolate chips

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2-1 cup toffee pieces

Melt together chocolate chips and oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat, until smooth. Pour into a small bowl suitable for dipping. Let cool somewhat.

Remove cupcakes from freezer.

Dip each cupcake in the chocolate so that it covers the icing; let the excess chocolate drip off. If the chocolate is too hot, it will start to melt the icing while you're doing the dipping, so you should notice right away if you need to wait; on the other hand, freezing the cupcakes gives the icing plenty of time to harden so it should be all right.

Once the cupcake is dipped in chocolate, turn it right side up and sprinkle the top generously with toffee pieces.

The cold of the frosting should make the chocolate set up pretty quickly, but if not, place cupcakes back in the freezer for another half hour.

Let thaw before serving.

Cupcakes adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

Frosting and inspiration from The Baking Robot