Strawberry Hi-Hat Cupcakes

Until very recently, the word “hi-hat” meant one thing to me: a bulky and fussy cymbal contraption in drum sets and other musical setups. Hi-hats might have been my least favorite cymbals during my four years in music school, mostly because of how much of a pain they were to move. But being one of the only instruments you could play with your foot, they served their purpose for when my hands were busy playing cowbells and claves and other groovy instruments. 

Recently, the word “hi-hat” took on a whole new meaning when I discovered hi-hat cupcakes. These cupcakes are topped with a towering, i.e. “high,” hat of frosting, which is then dipped in chocolate, kind of like the coating you’d find on a dipped ice-cream cone. I can’t believe it took me this long to discover these guys! I mean could there be anything better than adding a beautiful chocolate coating to an already amazing thing such as a cupcake? Oh yeah, there could be, and that’s adding strawberry to the mix!

These hi-hat cupcakes, stuffed with strawberry jam and topped with a creamy strawberry frosting, are the definitely attention-getters. Using Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix (my family’s favorite) makes quick work of whipping up the cupcakes, so I can focus on filling and frosting them to hi-hatted perfection. Here’s how to do it! 

Start by making, baking and cooling 12 cupcakes as directed on the box of Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix.

Use an apple corer to create a well in each cupcake going about halfway down into center. Fill each well with about 1 teaspoon of strawberry jam.

Make frosting, following directions in the recipe below. Then pipe a tall mound of frosting onto each cupcake. Freeze cupcakes about 30 minutes or until frosting is very firm.

In microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and coconut oil on High in 2 or 3 (30-second) increments, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted. Cool chocolate until room temperature.

Dip frosting part of cupcakes into chocolate.

Decorate with sprinkles.

Refrigerate a few minutes until chocolate firms up. Serve immediately, or store in refrigerator until ready to serve.