High Altitude High Hat Cupcakes
These high hat cupcakes are made with moist chocolate cupcakes, topped with a swirl of 7-minute frosting (homemade marshmallow frosting), and dipped in a chocolate shell.
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment
- Digital Instant Read Thermometer
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 recipe Chocolate Cupcakes
7-Minute Frosting (Marshmallow Frosting)
- 5 large egg whites (not from a carton)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Shell
- 12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips (1 3/4 cups)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Make the chocolate cupcakes as instructed. Cool completely before frosting.
- Pro Tip: I suggest removing the centers of the cupcakes, so you can fill the center with frosting, too. This gives the frosting more "grip" so it won't fall off the cupcakes when you turn them upside down to dip in the chocolate.
7-Minute Frosting (Marshmallow Frosting)
- Get ready by soaking a cotton ball in vinegar and wiping clean all the utensils, whisk attachment and bowls that will come into contact with the egg whites. If there's any trace of grease or fat, it can prevent the whites from whipping correctly.
- Clear enough space in your freezer for a rimmed baking sheet.
- Separate the yolks from the whites, taking care not to break the yolks. If any yolk gets into a white, set that one aside and use another egg. Save the leftover egg yolks for another recipe.
- Set up a double boiler (a saucepan with an inch of simmering water, with a heatproof bowl placed on top) on the stove over medium to medium low heat. In the bowl, combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar. Heat the egg white mixture, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the mixture smooths out with no remaining grittiness from the sugar, and the temperature reaches between 155-160 F.Pro Tip: If you're having trouble getting rid of the grittiness, try transferring the egg white mixture to a clean bowl and use a clean spatula to stir it as you continue to heat it over the water. This will get rid of any lingering sugar granules around the edge of the bowl, and can help to finish dissolving the sugar. If the sugar is not dissolved, your frosting will have a gritty texture.
- Pour the egg whites into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip the egg whites on medium high speed (#8 on a Kitchen Aid mixer) for approximately 7 minutes, until the mixture has nearly tripled in volume and stiff, glossy peaks form, then beat in the vanilla. If it takes a minute or two less or more, that's fine, too. Don't under-whip the frosting, though, or it won't be as stable.
- Fit a disposable 16-inch piping bag with a large round tip (#2A), and fill half full with the frosting. Immediately pipe tall swirls of frosting onto each cupcake, starting by filling the centers of the cupcakes and working your way up. Refill the piping bag as needed.
- Set the frosted cupcakes on a rimmed baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes to chill them before dipping in the chocolate.
Chocolate Shell
- Combine the chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a microwavable dish and microwave for several minutes on 60% power, stirring until melted and smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes, then scrape the chocolate into a tall glass or measuring cup. If you use a shallow dish, it's much harder to dip the cupcakes without smashing the frosting.
- Dip the chilled cupcakes in the melted chocolate, lightly shake off the excess, then place them back onto the baking sheet. Refrigerate for several minutes until the chocolate has set. (Before the chocolate set, I sprinkled it lightly with some finely crushed chocolate graham crackers.)Pro Tip: To add a little more stability to the marshmallow frosting, dip the cupcakes far enough to completely cover the frosting, all the way to the top of the cupcake. This will help to seal the frosting inside the chocolate shell and hold it in place. If you don't completely cover the frosting with chocolate, it will not be as stable, and can start to slip and slide around within a few hours. This is only for marshmallow frosting, but is not an issue with American buttercream, which is very stable.
Notes
Keep the cupcakes refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to serve. These cupcakes are best eaten within 1-2 days.
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