Devils Food Cupcake Cones

DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each.
• Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three- quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
• To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting.

DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKE ICE CREAM CONES

Steps:

• Directions:
• For the Cake.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Melt the chocolate and butter together in a medium bowl set over a simmering pot of water. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, vanilla, eggs and cocoa. Mix well.
• Place ice cream cones on a baking sheet and fill with batter, leaving a small space at the top to allow for the rising of the cake. Bake for 20 minutes.
• Cool completely before adding the marshmallow.
• For the Marshmellow 'Ice Cream' Topping.
• Pour the water, sugar and syrup into a small pot. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the mixture and gently whisk the mixture until the gelatin and sugar dissolves.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer, heating it just long enough to melt the gelatin and sugar. It does not need to come to a simmer but it does need to get hot to the touch. Rub some of the mixture between your fingers. If it does not feel gritty and the mixture is very hot move on to the next step.
• Add the vanilla and optional flavoring and using a stand mixer begin whipping the mixture on high. At this point you have two options. You may whip until the marshmallows look like soft whipped cream and the bowl feels cools to the touch then pour it into a lightly oiled 9x13 baking pan until it sets then cut it into squares. You may also continue whipping until the marshmallow resembles a stiff meringue and easily holds its shape in stiff peaks then pipe it out.
• As the marshmallow cools the gelatin begins to firm up allowing the mixture to absorb air and increase in volume. To test the degree of whipping, dip a spoon into the mixture then remove it and invert it. Watch how the mixture slumps off the spoon. For best results it should be beaten past the point that it holds a soft peak almost to the point that it has stiffened and holds a stiff peak....
• Working quickly spoon the marshmallow into a zippered plastic bag and cut off one corner. Pipe onto top of ice cream cones, and garnish with candy sprinkles.

DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners, and lightly coat with cooking spray.
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Bring the cocoa powder, milk and 1/2 cup water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, and whisk until the cocoa dissolves into a smooth, thicker mixture, about 3 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, and set aside until just slightly warm to the touch.
• Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer) until combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. Continue to beat while slowly pouring the cocoa mixture into the bowl (be sure to scrape out any cocoa that coats the saucepan) just until incorporated, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to medium, add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Remove the bowl from the stand, and finish stirring by hand to avoid overmixing.
• Divide the batter evenly among the lined muffin cups, and bake until the cupcakes bounce back when gently pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• For the glaze: Combine the butter, chocolate, honey and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap and poke a hole in it to vent. Microwave on high (at 100 percent power) for about 1 minute, until the butter and most of the chocolate is melted. Whisk until smooth, and let cool, 15 to 20 minutes. Dip the top of each cupcake in the glaze, and let it set up, about 30 minutes.
• Decorate the cupcakes: Pinch each fruit chew into a curved horn shape with pointed ends. Cut the licorice laces into twelve 5-inch pieces, and snip 1 end of each to make a Y-shaped tail. Press two horns into the top of each cupcake, and press a tail into the back of each cupcake.

CANDY-TOPPED CUPCAKE CONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Make cake batter as directed on box. Fill 12 cones about half full of batter. Stand cones in muffin pan. Refrigerate any leftover batter until ready to fill and bake remaining cones.
• Bake 21 to 26 minutes or until toothpick carefully inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Frost with frosting and decorate. Store loosely covered.

DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line 2 muffin tins with 16 paper muffin cases. Whisk together 175ml boiling water with the cocoa powder in a medium-sized bowl until smooth. Allow the mixture to cool until it reaches room temperature (put it in the freezer to speed it up), then whisk it with the eggs and vanilla.
• In an electric mixer, combine the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and sugar. Mix on a low speed for 30 secs, then add one-third of the cocoa liquid and softened butter. Keep mixing on a low speed, then turn up to medium high and beat for 1 min. Add the remaining liquid in 3 batches, beating each one for 30 secs. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula and mix one more time. Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full and bake for 20 mins, then remove and let them cool in the tin.
• To make the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese for 2-3 mins until creamy, then add the vanilla. While still mixing, pour in the sugar in 4 batches, beating each time to fully combine. Beat for a further min, then chill for 2 hrs.
• Swirl the frosting over the cooled cupcakes and decorate with silver balls or whatever you like.