Celebrate National Hot Dog Day with these hot dog cupcakes! Whip up this moist chocolate cupcake recipe, add the perfect mound of frosting, and top with a little caramel wrapped fondant hot dog garnished with frosting ketchup and mustard!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tin with yellow foiled cupcake liners.
In a large mixing bowl, add butter and sugar. Beat on medium with hand mixer until combined. It will look like wet sand.
Add in the oil and beat until combined.
Add in the eggs one at a time and beat until each egg is well incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Microwave the chocolate in 20-second intervals for 4-5 times until it's completely melted. Stir after each interval to prevent the chocolate from burning. Let it cool for two minutes.
Add the chocolate into the mixing bowl and beat to combine.
In a small separate bowl, add the warm water, coffee granules, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
In a large separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa powder.
Alternately add the flour and water to the mixing bowl starting with the flour and ending with the flour. Beat just until combined.
Scoop batter into the prepared cupcake tin. Fill the liners two-thirds full.
Place in the oven and bake for 16-18 minutes or until done. Place a tooth pick in the center of the cupcake and if it comes out clean they are done.
Let cool completely.
Frosting
In a large mixing bowl, add in powdered sugar, butter, milk and vanilla extract. Beat on low/medium until most of the powdered sugar is incorporated. Increase hand mixer to high and beat for another 30 seconds to 1 minute until semi-stiff consistency forms.
Add the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large straight tip.
Pipe a large mound of frosting on top of each cupcake. Do this by holding your tip in the center of the cupcake and applying even pressure to build the frosting up while slowing pulling your tip up away from the cupcake.
Place a small piping tip on the tube of Wilton red frosting and pipe small lines across the mound of frosting.
Fondant Hot Dog Decorations
For the hot dog line a baking sheet with wax paper and roll out your fondant into small ¼ inch balls. Roll them into tiny logs with rounded ends.
For the buns, knead each caramel square and flatten each one out to be about 1 inch in diameter.
Place your fondant hot dog in the center of your flattened caramel square and wrap to look like a mini hot dog.