In my house, hockey is a main attraction. My son has played the sport for several seasons, and our family has grown to love ice cold rinks, piping hot chocolate, and Ozzy Osbourne’s Crazy Train. Mind you, I have the athletic ability of a pillow, so I am forever amazed how humans can play a contact sport on two tiny blades of steel—on top of a sheet of ice. Freaky.
Even freakier is the fact that Hershey’s rolled out its new Minis York Peppermint Patties during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Did the chocolate maker know its mini patties looked exactly like mini hockey pucks? Did Hershey’s also know that its bite-sized wonders would be the perfect topper for dark chocolate cupcakes?
I can’t say for sure, but “pucks” and “cupcakes” were the first two things that popped into my brain when I saw these miniature discs.
My son did some photo styling for me with his hockey puck and shiny stick. I should hire him.
Needless to say, I had to make Stanley Cup Cakes. I missed the opportunity to make them while the Chicago Blackhawks were still in the playoffs, but I did fire up the oven before the Los Angeles Kings or New York Rangers came home with the cup.
To start, I made a dark chocolate cake to match the dark chocolate shell of a York Peppermint Patty. You can use a dark chocolate cake mix or try the decadent Hershey’s cake recipe below that my neighbor Jenny enhances with Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa and buttermilk. It’s delicious!
Next, I made a marshmallow-based frosting that pairs well with dark chocolate cake and holds up beautifully when piping. I wanted to use my grandmother’s old-fashioned icing recipe, which calls for milk and flour, but I chickened out. I didn’t know if this frosting would “swirl” very well out of a Wilton tip. If the Stanley Cup Finals weren’t tonight, I would have gone for it.
I sprinkled on white candy pearls for ice effect. Not sure it worked, but each bite now has a tiny candy crunch.
If the LA Kings win the Stanley Cup tonight, c’mon over. I’ve got the victory dessert covered. :)
- 2 cups sugar
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Mix sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
- Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) Frostwith paper bake cups. Fill cups ⅔ full with batter.
- Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Frost with Marshmallow Buttercream (see recipe below). Makes about 30 cupcakes.
- 2 cups butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (13 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
- Cream butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium until butter is soft and fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, about ½ cup at a time; beat in vanilla extract. Gently fold marshmallow creme into the frosting until thoroughly incorporated.
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