Chocolate Covered Pretzel Christmas Cupcake Recipe

Welcome to our #12daysofChristmascoffee2018 by Lovers.coffee

Ho!Ho!Ho! Only ten days left till Christmas, and more-and-more holiday gatherings line up here and there. And since it’s the weekend, we will have something sweet that will cheer you up for the third day of our 12 days of Christmas coffee recipes.

So, for today we will be baking a Chocolate Covered Pretzel Cupcake that is perfect for the weekend holiday gathering. These cupcakes are sure to delight all lovers of sweet and salty! Plus, the festive holiday pretzels make them perfect for this time of year! You can also make and take this cupcake and bring to your neighbor or friends house who is hosting the weekend holiday gathering.

Sweet and salty go perfectly together, that is why this Chocolate Covered Pretzel Cupcake will not disappoint you.

So grab on your baking weapons coffee lovers, and let’s start baking!

CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZEL CUPCAKES

Cupcake recipe by Lindsay Conchar of The Cake Blog
Serving: 14-16 cupcakes

Ingredients for the Chocolate Cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons water
• 6 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons milk

How to make

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
2. Beat butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until blended.
4. Add vanilla, water and cocoa powder to another bowl and whisk until smooth, and mixture is thickened.
5. Add chocolate mixture to batter and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.
6. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
7. Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the butter. Begin by adding half of the dry mix, then mix well. Add the milk and mix well, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until smooth.
8. Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 way. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.
9. Allow cupcakes to cool about 2-3 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Ingredients for the Salty Chocolate Pretzel Frosting

• 1 cup salted butter
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup pretzel crumbs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup water, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

How to make

1. Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth.
2. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
3. Add the cocoa, pretzel crumbs and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
4. Add ¼ cup of the water and mix until smooth.\
5. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
6. Slowly add the remaining water and mix until smooth, keeping an eye on the consistency of the frosting. Only add enough water to get a nice, pipe-able consistency.

What you need for the decoration

• 2 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• Sprinkles
• Chocolate Covered Pretzels

How to make

1. Make the chocolate ganache by adding the chocolate chips to a small heatproof bowl.
2. Heat the heavy cream until it almost boils, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Whisk until smooth.
3. Pipe the chocolate pretzel frosting onto the top of each cupcake using a large round pastry tip. Drizzle the chocolate ganache using a small round tip. Add sprinkles and chocolate covered pretzels on top to finish them off.

Since this is a chocolate cupcake, a beverage that goes with it is an espresso made with a Colombian and Brazilian coffee blend. The dark robust flavors of the chocolate will pair well with the chocolate and nutty notes of the coffee. And the slightly fruity notes will counter the medium acidity in the espresso – making this a good pairing with chocolate. If you don’t have an espresso machine at home, French press or drip coffee will do.

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All credits to this recipe will go to its original author The Cake Blog.