"...because Wonka would!"
Hot Chocolate Cupcakes by Teri Jakob
A moist dark chocolate cake with a hint of ancho chile, with a swiss meringue cinnamon buttercream frosting and topped with a homemade marshmallow chile pepper and a Hershey chocolate square
come along. We arrived just after 1 to check in. The bookstore was already crowded. 
Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
For the cookie dough
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup regular granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
For the frosting
40 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup regular granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
To make the cookies
Preheat oven to 350
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, add butter and sugar - mix until combined. This will most likely look dry and not creamy as you would expect. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until well combined after each. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the cream. Stir in the chocolate chips.
You need to make 5 cookie layers for this cake. Drop about 1 cup worth of batter on a piece of parchment paper - use an off-set spatula to spread the mixture into an evenly round 8" circle. I recommend baking them one at a time.
Bake until the edges are a rich golden brown and the center looks lightly golden on top, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough until you have 5 rounds.
To make the frosting
In a large mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugars and vanilla until fluffy and smooth. Spread a thick layer of mixture onto 4 of the cookies, I used a pastry bag with large star tip to give the edges a finished look. Stack the cookies on top of each other and place the final unfrosted piece on top. Cover and place in the refrigerator to set the cream cheese, about 20 to 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.
Snow! Mexican Hot Cocoa Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 standard cupcake pans with liners, or coat with non-stick cooking spray. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the sugar, eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, until blended.
2. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper and gradually add to the sugar mixture, until the mixture begins to come together.
3. Very slowly, add the boiling water, and blend until the mixture is smooth.
4. Ladle or scoop the batter into the cupcake tins, filling ¾ full. Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 18 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center of each one comes out clean.
5. Cool the cupcakes in their pans on wire racks until cooled.
6. Cut cone shape holes in the centers of the tops of each cupcake, save them to replace the tops before frosting.
7. Fill in each hole with marshmallow cream.
8. Replace the tops.
(Do-Ahead: At this point the cupcakes can be kept covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or frozen for 6 weeks. Defrost and ice with the cinnamon butter cream frosting.)
Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
Makes enough to frost two 9-inch layers or 24 cupcakes
You Will Need
What to Do
In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir the sugar, to aerate it. Add the butter, vanilla, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon milk, and beat on high speed until the frosting is spreading consistency. If the frosting is stiff, add a few more drops of milk, beating after each addition. Frost the cooled cupcakes and garnish with the marshmallows and the red hots.
