Hot Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes with Marshmallow Filling

This recipe isn't mine, at all, but I combined a couple different recipes into this yummy, rich cupcake! I have been on a huge hot chocolate kick lately so this recipe is perfect!

Chocolate Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder (you can also use regular cocoa powder)
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Love these square silicon liners David's mom got me.

Mix (or sift) the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. It did fit in my kitchen aid, but it was close. Add the eggs one at a time and then the rest of the wet ingredients, slowly! Make sure you scrape down the bowl. Mix for two minutes on medium/low. The batter will be really thin. I was worried I messed up the recipe, but they turned out perfectly.  Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.



Marshmallow Filling

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 7.5 oz Marshmallow Cream
• 3 Tablespoons heavy/whipping cream
• 2 cups powdered/confectioners sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract  

I whipped this up while the cupcakes were baking. Cream the butter and add the marshmallow creme and whipping cream. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until combined. Finally add in the vanilla.


After the cupcakes have cooled (some if you are impatient like me), its time to core them for the filling. I have an actual cupcake corer that my mom got me. You push in the serrated edge and twist a bit until you can pull out the core. You can also use a knife and cut out a small bit. Hubby had fun eating the core pieces.  Next pipe in the filling. You can spoon it in, but a piping bag/tip would be much easier and less messy.




Hot Chocolate Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup dry hot chocolate mix (without mini marshmallows)
• 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp heavy cream 
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Start by heating the heavy whipping cream and the hot chocolate mix on the stove over medium-high heat. Whisk it together. It needs to be steaming hot but not boiling. The whole point of heating it is to make a thick hot chocolate and have the sugars dissolve.

While it is heating, cream the butter. Add in the chocolate mix and combine. Then, slowly add the powdered sugar and whip until fluffy. Be sure the scrape down the sides before calling it good.

Now, I did try to use a piping bag and tip to ice these, but I let the frosting cool in the fridge and it was too thick, where as my icing tip was too small. I squeezed out what I could onto the cakes and spread it with a knife so that I didn't mess up the filling in the process.

 Next time I will use a 1M Star Tip or my favorite a 1M Round Tip.

Dip the tops in sprinkles or Mallow Bits and serve!

And I actually tried one today (2nd day) and they were still delicious. The cupcakes were super moist because of the filling!

Enjoy!