Ho Ho No Cupcakes Recipes

HO HO CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake as directed on the package for a 9 x 13 inch pan. Cool completely.
• Combine flour and milk in saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick. Cool completely. Cream 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup margarine, and shortening. Add cooled milk mixture, and beat well. Spread over cake. Refrigerate.
• In a small bowl, beat egg. Stir in vanilla, melted chocolate, hot water, confectioner's sugar, and 1/2 cup margarine. Pour over second layer. Refrigerate.

VANILLA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low; beat in half of the flour mixture, then all of the milk, then the remaining flour mixture until just combined.
• Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to the rack to cool completely. Top with Frosting.
• Whisk the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) until the mixture is warm and the sugar dissolves. Remove the bowl from the pan; let cool slightly.
• Beat the egg white mixture in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or with a hand mixer) on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 12 to 15 minutes. Beat in the butter a few pieces at a time, then continue beating until smooth. (Don't worry if the mixture looks separated at first-it will come together as you keep beating.)

HOECAKES

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat eggs, buttermilk, water and 1/4 cup oil with whisk. Add to dry ingredients; stir just until combined.
• In cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. For each hoecake, pour about 1/4 cup batter into hot skillet. Cook until browned on both sides. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to skillet as needed.

EDNA'S HO HO CAKE

Steps:

• For filling, in a small saucepan, combine flour and milk until smooth; stir in 1/3 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. , Transfer to a large bowl; cool. Beat in the shortening, butter, vanilla, salt and remaining sugar until smooth. Spread between cake layers., For glaze, melt butter and cocoa in a small saucepan. Whisk in confectioners' sugar and enough milk to achieve a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over top of cake, allowing some to drape down the sides.

SURPRISE! CREAM-FILLED CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Prepare cake mix according to the package directions, substituting coffee for the water called for on the box, if desired. A slightly richer chocolate flavor will result, but no detectable coffee flavor. Beat with mixer on low until all flour is moistened, then beat for 2 minute on medium speed, as directed on the box. Really, any kind of cake mix you desire can be used, just follow the box's directions.
• Divide into 24 paper muffin liners that have been sprayed with non-stick spray for easy removal from cakes. Bake at 325 degrees (25 less than the box calls for) for 18 to 22 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. The lower temperature helps the cakes to remain moist and even topped--a trick I learned from my Wilton class instructor! Remove cakes to a rack to cool.
• In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk until there are no lumps. Heat milk and flour on Medium Low heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens to a gravy consistency. Remove from hot pan into a cool bowl and cover with saran. Allow to cool to room temperature. A cool water bath or refrigeration will speed up this process.
• In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and granulated sugar about 5 minutes. Add cooled milk-flour gravy and beat until fluffy and granulated sugar is dissolved completely, about another 5 minutes. Be sure to scrape your bowl and beater so that the grains of sugar at the top will be beaten in and dissolved. If in doubt, whip more. Now add vanilla and powdered sugar and whip well.
• Once cakes are fully cooled, place filling in a frosting bag with a star tip (I use size 18 or so) and press the tip down into the middle of each cake, about ¾ of an inch deep. Give a good squeeze to the bag, enough to cause the top of the cupcake to rise, but not enough to cause it to crack. If it does crack, don't worry. The buttercream will cover it! Lift out the tip and repeat with each cake. Freshly baked and cooled cupcakes, or cupcakes stored in an airtight container until you are ready to frost them, are less likely to crack.
• Make the buttercream frosting for the cupcake tops by creaming margarine, shortening, flavorings and water until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and meringue powder and beat until combined. Avoid over-beating to retain a smoother frosting.
• Frost tops of cupcakes with buttercream and enjoy! Store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer if you plan on keeping them around for a while. Store any leftover frosting and filling in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freezer as well. Both will keep great for months in the freezer, if they can last that long! Blessings!

HO HO CAKE OR BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (or temperature specified on cake mix box); grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking pan (for cake) OR a large jelly roll pan (for bars).
• Make cake as directed on the cake mix package using the mix, water, oil, and eggs.
• Bake 30-40 minutes for the cake or as directed on the box, OR 12-15 minutes to make the bars in a jelly roll pan.
• Cool completely.
• Beat the filling ingredients until light and fluffy; this will take about 10-15 minutes.
• (Don't be alarmed if it looks kind of curdled and scary at first since it takes time for it to pull together!).
• Spread the filling over the cooled cake.
• Warm the frosting in the microwave until it is a pourable consistency (do this slowly by only cooking for 15-20 seconds at a time, and stirring).
• Pour the frosting evenly over the filling.
• Refrigerate until thoroughly cool and firm (overnight is highly recommended).
• Store cake in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH CREAM FILLING

Steps:

• For the cakes: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the interior of a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a mixer, beat the egg yolks with the oil, .5 cup of the sugar and 2 tablespoons water. With the mixer at low speed, add the cake flour mixture and beat until smooth; set aside.
• In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until stiff and glossy. Mix .25 of the whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites until no streaks remain. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them halfway. Bake until risen and lightly firm, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
• For the filling: Using a mixer, beat together the butter, confectioners' sugar and Marshmallow Fluff. Add cream and beat just until smooth. Fit a pastry bag with a round .25-inch tip, and fill bag with all but .25 cup of the filling. (Put the extra .25 cup in a pastry bag fitted with a .125-inch round tip, or in a small Ziplock bag, and reserve.) Plunge the tip into the side of a cupcake, filling just until you feel the cupcake swell. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
• For the frosting: Heat the cream just until bubbles begin to form on the edges of the pan, add the chocolate and remove from heat. Stir until melted and smooth. Add the butter, stirring to combine. Dip the top of a cupcake into the frosting, flip and set aside. Repeat with remaining cupcakes. Allow frosting to set, about 20 minutes.
• With the small pastry bag of filling, or snipping a tiny corner off the Ziplock bag, pipe a tiny squiggle across the top of each cupcake. Place in an airtight container until serving.

CUPCAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and fill a 12 cupcake tray with cases.
• Using an electric whisk beat 110g softened butter and 110g golden caster sugar together until pale and fluffy then whisk in 2 large eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Add ½ tsp vanilla extract, 110g self-raising flour and a pinch of salt, whisk until just combined then spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases.
• Bake for 15 mins until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
• To make the buttercream, whisk 150g softened butter until super soft then add 300g icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
• Whisk together until smooth (start off slowly to avoid an icing sugar cloud) then beat in 3 tbsp milk.
• If wanting to colour, stir in the food colouring now. Spoon or pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.

HO HO NO CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Mix together the powdered sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons water in a small bowl until thick and smooth. Pour the icing into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe 3 parallel horizontal lines an inch apart around the cupcake liners. Pipe vertical lines an inch apart from each other to create a brick pattern (this will be the "chimney"). Let set completely on a serving platter.
• Transfer the white frosting to a pipping bag fitted with a medium round tip and pipe onto the top of each cupcake. Dust with desiccated coconut.
• Skewer the red licorice candies with a toothpick, leaving 1/2 inch of the toothpick exposed on one end. On the exposed end, skewer a halved marshmallow, then a halved chocolate licorice to make the legs. Repeat with the remaining marshmallows and chocolate licorice. Place 2 legs onto each cupcake.