Dia de los Muertos Cupcakes And Bread

I have always been drawn to the holiday Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). This year I made cupcakes inspired by the holiday, along with the traditional bread Pan de Muertos.

I searched everywhere for chocolate skull molds to use to replicate sugar skulls, but I couldn't find them anywhere. Luckily, while in Napa with a friend we stopped by my favorite chocolate shop, Woodhouse, and found the perfect chocolate skulls.(Well, almost perfect...they were around $8 each and tasted like horrible waxy grocery store chocolate.) I decorated the skulls with royal icing which turned out to be more difficult to do than I first thought. Once the skulls were decorated I made Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes by slightly adjusting my regular chocolate cupcake recipe. The cupcakes were delicious, with the perfect amount of spices not too subtle or too over powering. I did run into one problem though, there was a weird reaction with the cupcake liners. Every single liner peeled away from the cake which caused major issues with my presentation. I will be working on the issue of the cupcake liners the next time I make these, because there will definitely be a next time.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup prepared Abuelita refrigerated (Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup of oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash cayenne pepper

• Preheat oven to 350 and prepare cupcake tin.
• Stir together 1 cup of hot chocolate and 1 tsp vinegar in bowl of stand mixer, and let stand.

• In a separate bowl whisk 1 cup flour,  1/3 cup cocoa powder, 3/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and dash of cayenne pepper. Set aside.

• Add to the bowl of hot chocolate 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup oil, and 2 tsp vanilla beat until foamy.
• Add dry ingredients to the wet in two batches until no longer lumpy.
• Pour into prepared muffin tin and bake 18-20 minutes.

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting:

1 cup shortening
1 cup butter softened
8 cups/1 bag powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup heavy cream or milk

• In a bowl of a stand mixer cream shortening and butter
• Add powdered sugar and beat until well blended.
• On low speed add salt vanilla and cream.
• Turn to high and beat until fluffy.

Never having traditional Pan de Muertos, I don't know if this is an authentic recipe, but it was the best sounding recipe I found http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pan-de-Muertos-Mexican-Bread-of-the-Dead/Detail.aspx. I only slightly modified the recipe and it turned out pretty delicious, and gave my daughter an extra 50 points in Spanish :)


Pan de Muertos


1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons anise seed
1/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons orange zest

Glaze
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 tablespoons white sugar 

• Heat the 1/4 cup milk and the 1/4 cup butter together in a microwave safe bowl. Add 1/4 warm water, the mixture should be around 110 degrees. 
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1 cup of the flour, 1 1/4 tsp yeast, 1/2 salt, 1/2 tsp anise seed and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Beat in the warm milk mixture then add the 2 eggs and 2 tsp orange zest and beat until well combined. Continue adding 1/2 cup of flour at a time until the dough is soft. 
• Using the dough hook,  knead dough for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. 
• Lightly grease the mixing bowl and dough, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. About 2 hours. Punch the dough down, cut off enough dough to make a few ropes and small ball to decorate the top of the bread. Place dough onto a baking sheet, loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until just about doubled in size. 
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 35 to 45 minutes. 
• During the last 10 minutes in the oven, start preparing the glaze.
• I a small sauce pan combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup orange juice, and 1 tbs orange zest. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 2 minutes.
• Brush over warm bread and sprinkle with sugar.