Chocolate Wasted Mini Cupcakes

Still looking for more ways to get chocolate wasted?

Here's a bite-sized version of the Chocolate Wasted Cake I made for my brother.  Mini cupcakes!  They're so cute and so perfect to serve at parties.  I'm pretty sure these will be a hit this holiday season or any season for that matter :-)


Topped with chocolate chips and melted chocolate


Topped with Hershey Kisses, Kit Kat pieces, mini Hershey bars, Heath toffee pieces and Twix pieces.


Chocolate Wasted Mini Cupcakes
Makes about 4 dozen mini cupcakes
Allergy Note: contains wheat and dairy ingredients
(See notes for allergen-friendly or vegan alternatives)

cupcakes: 
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk*
1 cup butter, melted*
4 tsp. honey
2 tsp. vanilla extract

frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature*
1/3-1/2 cup whole milk* (start out with 1/3 cup of milk and add more milk to your desired consistency)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

flavored liqueur for drizzling, like chocolate, coffee or almond (optional)

melted chocolate for drizzling, :
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips*
2-3 Tbs. heavy cream or vegetable oil

semi-sweet chocolate chips or assorted chocolate candies

Note:
For the cupcakes: instead of milk, you can replace it with water or cooled brewed coffee. Instead of butter, you can use vegetable oil. Instead of honey, you can use corn syrup or agave nectar.
For the frosting : instead of butter, you can use any allowed margarine, Spectrum organic vegetable shortening, or coconut oil.  Instead of milk, you can use rice milk or soy milk.
For allergen-free alternatives for the semi-sweet chocolate chips, you can try Enjoy Life chocolate chips, bars or cookies)

To make the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Line mini muffin pans with liners. Set aside.

Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, combine milk, butter, honey and vanilla extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the milk/butter mixture. Mix until combined.  Pour batter into prepared muffin pans (about 2/3 full). Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before decorating.

To make the frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, sift together powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add the butter, milk and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, slowly mix together at a low speed. Once all the ingredients are combined, increase the speed and beat till fluffy.

To assemble the cupcakes:
Lightly drizzle each cupcake with a little bit of your liqueur of choice. Place the frosting in a piping bag with a star tip or round tip.  Pipe frosting on each cupcake. Top with a few semi-sweet chocolate chips or assorted chocolate candies. Drizzle the melted chocolate all over the top of each cupcake.
Please note: I am not a paid endorser nor did I accept any free samples of the brands or products mentioned in this post.  I just love them and wanted to share them with you  :-)