Chocolate Santa Hat Cupcakes Recipe: Easy Holiday Treat
These Santa Hat cupcakes are a festive yet straightforward dessert. They are so easy to make, and that’s part of the beauty of this recipe. When the holidays have you frazzled, but you need an easy dessert that is sure to please, these cupcakes will become your go-to.
They are a holiday treat that combines rich chocolate cake with smooth whipped white chocolate ganache and fresh strawberries arranged to look like tiny Santa hats. The result is charming without being fussy and delicious without being difficult to make. See how easy it is to make this holiday dessert.
Why This Santa Hat Cupcakes Recipe Works
This Santa Hat cupcake recipe is the perfect combination of flavors and textures. Chocolate and strawberries are a classic combination that just naturally go together. Add whipped white chocolate ganache frosting, and you have another flavor that goes perfectly with both the chocolate cupcakes and the juicy strawberries.
The texture matters here, too. A moist chocolate cupcake offers the substance, while the whipped ganache brings airiness. The strawberry adds a fresh, juicy bite that cuts through all that richness. These aren’t one-note cupcakes. Each bite offers something different, which is probably why they disappear so quickly at gatherings.
White Chocolate Ganache vs Buttercream
You may think of ganache as a chocolate glaze that you pour on a cake, but when you whip it up after it’s cooled, it transforms into a rich and light frosting. It has a subtle sweetness, but it’s not overpowering. So if you’re a person who thinks that buttercream frosting is too sweet, this whipped ganache frosting may be just what you’ve been looking for. But if you can’t imagine a cupcake without your favorite buttercream frosting, then by all means go ahead and substitute that instead.
A Look at the Ingredients
Just like you can substitute buttercream instead of the ganache frosting, you can also get creative with your cupcake flavor. I chose a chocolate cupcake because I love how that mixes with both the white chocolate frosting and the strawberries. However, a vanilla cupcake would be just as good. And if you don’t like making cupcakes from scratch, then by all means use a boxed cake mix instead.
Here are the ingredients needed.
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup hot coffee or hot water
For the Frosting:
- 8 oz white chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream, divided
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Step by Step With Photos
Start by making the chocolate cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Place 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl.
Whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside.
In a separate large bowl, whisk 2 eggs, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth.
Add 1/2 cup sour cream and stir until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined.
Stir in 1/2 cup hot coffee, or hot water.
Pour the cupcake batter into the muffin tins, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupakes cool completely before frosting.
To make the ganache, place 8 ounces of chopped white chocolate into a bowl. Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream in a saucepan until it just starts to simmer. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate and let it rest for 2-3 minutes. Then stir until smooth. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine, and then add the remaining 1/2 cup cold heavy cream. Stir until smooth. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for 2-3 hours until it has thicked, but it’s still soft.
After the ganache has chilled, remove the bowl from the refrigerator and use an electric mixer to whip the frosting until light and fluffy. Do not overwhip the ganache. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag that has a star or round tip. Clean and hull the strawberries. Try to choose strawberries that are all the same size. Now you’re ready to assemble the Santa hat cupcakes.
Pipe some of the ganache frosting on top of the cupcake.
Place a strawberry on top of the frosting, with the tip pointing up.
Pipe a dollop of frosting on top of the strawberry to make the pom-pom.
And just like that you have adorable Santa hat cupcakes that are as cute as they are delicious. A holiday dessert that combines visual appeal with genuine flavor. It’s perfect for all kinds of gatherings, whether it’s a family party, school event, or church bake sale. It’s a dessert that looks so impressive, but you don’t have to be a pastry chef to make them. These chocolate cupcakes with Santa Hats are exactly what they appear to be: cheerful, chocolatey, and oh so festive, which is exactly what the season calls for.
If you want more holiday desserts to make, how about easy no-bake chocolate dipped Oreos with peppermint. A pretty and delicious dessert that is perfect for your holiday table, or to give as gifts. And another peppermint dessert are these peppermint crinkle cookies.
If you try this Santa Hat Cupcakes recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting, and happy baking!
Santa Hat Chocolate Cupcakes
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- 2 bowls
- Muffin Pan
- Saucepan
- Electric mixer
- Piping bag with round or star tip
Ingredients
Cupcakes Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs room temp
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup hot coffee or hot water
Whipped White Chocolate Ganache Ingredients
- 8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream divided
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- fresh strawberries (for Santa Hat) cleaned and hulled
Instructions
Cupcake Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin.
- In one bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk eggs, both sugars, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
- Stir in sour cream until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet, mixing gently.
- Stir in hot coffee/water until batter is smooth and thin.
- Divide evenly into liners (about ¾ full).
- Bake 18–20 min or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
White Chocolate Ganache Instructions
- Place white chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
- Heat ½ cup cream until just simmering, then pour over chocolate. Let sit 2 min, then stir until smooth.
- Stir in vanilla and salt.
- Add remaining ½ cup cream (cold) and mix in.
- Cover and chill 2–3 hours until thickened but still soft.
- Whip with an electric mixer until fluffy and light (don’t overwhip).
Assembling Cupcakes
- Pipe a swirl of ganache onto each cupcake.
- Place a strawberry (point up) in the center.
- Pipe a small dot of ganache on the tip of the strawberry for the “pom-pom.”
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