Chocolate “Acorn” Cupcakes

22 ingredients
12 steps

Ingredients

  • FOR THE CHOCOLATE ACORNS:
  • 24 whole Hershey's Kisses
  • 1/2 cups Mini Chocolate Chips, Divided
  • 24 whole Mini Nilla Wafers
  • FOR THE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES:
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 cups Cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon Coffee (ground Or Instant)
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 1-1/2 cup Flour
  • 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 2 whole Eggs
  • 2/3 cups Plain Yogurt Or Sour Cream
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 3/4 cups Oil
  • FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
  • 2 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, At Room Temperature
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter, At Room Temperature
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon Fresh Orange Zest (optional)

Directions

  1. 1
    For the chocolate acorns:
  2. 2
    Melt a couple of tablespoons of chocolate chips in a microwave or over a gentle water bath.
  3. 3
    Unwrap Hershey's Kisses. Using a toothpick, spread a bit of melted chocolate over the flat end of a mini chocolate chip and attach to a mini Nilla wafer. Spread more chocolate over the flat end of a Kiss and attach the Nilla wafer.
  4. 4
    Repeat to create the remaining acorns.
  5. 5
    For the chocolate cupcakes:
  6. 6
    Preheat oven to 350*F.
  7. 7
    Sift dry ingredients (sugar, cocoa, coffee, salt, flour, baking soda, baking powder) into a clean bowl. In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Add yogurt or sour cream, vanilla and oil. Gently incorporate yogurt mixture into dry ingredients.
  8. 8
    Divide batter evenly among cupcake cups and bake for about 15 minutes. Once you can smell the cake, it's ready. Do a toothpick test at the center of a cupcake to test for doneness. When done, remove cupcakes from the oven.
  9. 9
    Allow them to cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cupcakes onto a metal rack to finish cooling.
  10. 10
    For the frosting and assembly:
  11. 11
    Cream all the frosting ingredients together until smooth. Spread 1 tablespoon of frosting over the top of a cupcake and plop an acorn in the middle.
  12. 12
    Note: Homemade chocolate cake always tastes best, but if you're short on time, use boxed cake mix and ready-made frosting.The acorns can be made ahead of time and stand ready to decorate any cake or cupcake.

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