Phenomenal Phoods

Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the dark chocolate cupcakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 can cherry pie filling

For the dark chocolate buttercream

• 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 3 - 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream

For the decoration

• 6 ounces chopped dark chocolate
• 12 mini peanut butter cups or other mini chocolates
• 2 tablespoons Marshmallow fluff
• Crumbled cake (use the cake that you scooped out to fill the cupcakes)

Instructions:

For the dark chocolate cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a cupcake tray with 12 papers.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
3. Whisk or beat together the wet ingredients (excluding the cherry pie filling) in a separate bowl until smooth and airy.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined and smooth.
5. Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 of the way. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Let your cupcakes cool before using a small knife or spoon to cut out a hole in the center of each. Hang onto the extra cake that you cut out for decorating with.
7. Spoon a little cherry pie filling into each cupcake.

For the dark chocolate buttercream

1. Beat the butter with a mixer for 3-5 minutes until completely smooth and fluffy.
2. Add 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and the remaining ingredients and beat on high until smooth and silky. Add more powdered sugar or cream as needed, to get the right consistency for piping on your cupcakes.
3. Pipe a heap of frosting on top of each cooled and filled cupcake.

For the decoration

1. Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave and let it cool for 5 minutes. Transfer it to a piping or ziploc bag and let it continue to cool until it is thick enough to pipe and hold its shape. This took about 20 minutes using 70% cacao dark chocolate. Lower % cacao content chocolate will harden quicker so just keep an eye on it.
2. Pipe funky tree shapes and spider leg shapes onto a sheet of parchment paper and transfer to the fridge to set for 15 minutes.
3. Drizzle any remaining melted chocolate on the cupcakes. Top with crumbled cake, and use a fork to stretch some marshmallow fluff around the top of the cupcakes to look like spider web. Assemble your spider by placing 4 piped chocolate legs on either side of the mini chocolate candy and finish off with 1 or 2 spooky, dark chocolate trees.