Who knew you could buy jars of tiny, cocoa-ready marshmallows? Well if you’re in the market, Target sells them in the baking aisle and they’re a perfect addition to these treats. I saw a few versions of this cupcake on Pinterest while perusing and making my Christmas baking plan, and they’re quite delicious. My version uses a basic chocolate cupcake recipe I use all the time and a chocolate buttercream that uses hot cocoa mix, rather than cocoa powder.
One caveat: The hot cocoa mix I used wasn’t as fine as cocoa powder, and it had bits of chopped chocolate in it. Which is great when you’re mixing it into hot milk for actual cocoa…but if you’re mixing it into buttercream can yield a somewhat gritty texture. It’s absolutely delicious though – one of my coworkers said they tasted so amazing she didn’t pay any attention to the texture, so I’ll take that as a win.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
For the hot cocoa buttercream
- 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 envelopes hot cocoa mix (about 4 1/2 – 5 tablespoons)
- Dash of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 – 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- Marshmallow bits, for decoration
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with paper liners; this recipe makes about 14 – 16 cupcakes, depending on how full you fill your cupcake wells.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix until well-blended, then make three wells for the wet ingredients.
Place vinegar, vanilla, and vegetable oil into the wells; add water and mix until the batter is smooth. The mixture will bubble up slightly when you add the water, so just keep mixing until you get a smooth consistency in the batter, which will be fairly thin.
Using a 1/4 cup measure, fill cupcake wells about half full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan for a few minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on wire racks. Cool completely before frosting.
To make hot cocoa buttercream, beat butter on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar and hot cocoa mix and beat on low speed until the sugar and cocoa are fully incorporated into the butter; this takes a few minutes. Add salt, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons heavy cream and beat for 2-3 minutes. Add remaining heavy cream if necessary; you want a smooth consistency, and depending on what cocoa powder you use, you may need some additional cream.
Fit a piping bag with a large star tip (I use the Wilton M1) and pipe swirls of frosting onto cupcakes. Top with marshmallow bits. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days; these cupcakes are quite moist and don’t have a long shelf life.
amy bakes in the 'burgh 