Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream
These hot chocolate cupcakes are topped with a delicious marshmallow buttercream and made to look like little cups of hot cocoa! With a candy cane handle and mini marshmallows on top, these are so fun for the holidays!
Happy Thanksgiving Eve, y’all. It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is already here and right around the corner we have Christmas to look forward to. Time seriously feels like it’s flying by, but today I’m feeling a little down about that.
One of my best friends and her family is moving today, and it just feels like I have a big hole in the middle of my heart. See, when you live this military life the friends you make become like family.
You may have heard that said before from other military spouses, or maybe you’ve even experienced it yourself. If you have, then you know the pain that comes from having to say goodbye to someone you love and not knowing when or if your paths will cross again.
I’ve been blessed to make a handful of very very close friends through the army, friends who are like sisters to me. One of them is leaving me today and I’m really struggling with it.
The hardest part of all, though, is that I’m not the only one losing my best friend. My son is losing one, too.
See, he and my friend’s son are like two little trouble-making peas in a pod! They’ve been buddies since preschool and watching them say goodbye to each other last night really tore me apart. Mostly because neither one of them is registering what’s happening, and also because I know this is just the first of many heartaches that I’ll feel on behalf of my little guy.
It is crazy to me how poignantly a mother feels every emotion for her child, even when they can’t yet express those feelings themselves. Mothers are so intuitive, it’s incredible.
I’m sorry to be so down in the dumps today, but I knew that what I needed to deal with a situation like this was definitely chocolate. When I feel a big depression like this one coming on, I soothe it with chocolate, french fries, Stella Rosa wine, and trash TV!
If you’re looking for me over the next few weeks, I’ll probably have one of those things nearby. Just keep a lookout.
These cupcakes were a lot of fun to make and even though I feel sad today, they still bring a smile to my face and make me excited for the holidays. I used my favorite chocolate cake recipe for the cupcakes then topped them with a marshmallow buttercream.
The buttercream is light and creamy, and so delicious. Finally I added some mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, and crushed candy canes to the top, then finished them off with a a mini candy cane handle. They look like little cups of hot cocoa, and it’s hard not to smile when you’re holding one of those. Chocolate to the rescue, right?
More Great Holiday Dessert Recipes
- The Best Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars
- The Best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Gingerbread Cookies
Recipe: Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup hot water
Buttercream:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter,, softened
- 1 (7 oz) container marshmallow creme
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toppings and decor:
- Mini candy canes,, cut to fit (see note below)
- Mini marshmallows
- Chocolate chips
- Crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix well.
- Add in vanilla, eggs, buttermilk, and vegetable oil mixing until smooth. Pour in hot water and mix well. Batter will be very thin.
- Pour batter into prepared cupcake liners, about ⅔ full. Bake in preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the frosting, beat softened butter with an electric mixer over medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add in marshmallow creme and beat until combined. Finally add in the powdered sugar and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing until smooth.
- Top the cooled cupcakes with frosting, then sprinkle each one with mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, and crushed candy canes. Add a candy cane handle by inserting the hook end of the candy cane into the top-side of each cupcake. Enjoy soon after decorating.
Notes
Made these tonight! Really easy and so good!
This is the cutest dessert I’ve ever seen. Way to go. I’m pinning it for later use.
This cupcake looks amazing, I love the addition of the candy cane to look like a cup handle. This is adorable.
These are the cutest cupcakes ever! Definitely need to make them for my kids!
These look incredible. And they’re pretty. I’m excited to make these with my kids.
I’ve made this recipe 3-4 times now and it’s been amazing every single time! My kids keep asking to make this at all our special events we go to and for their birthdays. 5*
Aloha. I’m making these today. Can you make the marshmallow frosting a day ahead?
Amazing!! Made these for Christmas! Everyone loved them!! The cake is so moist and yummy! The frosting is the best!! The presentation was beautiful with the candy canes, chocolate chips and marshmallows.
Can I half the ingredients to make 14 cupcakes?
Sure!
I was so excited to make these, but despite making two batches and following instructions to a T, they wouldn’t rise and turned out flat and almost sunken in. I had a hard time getting them out of the cupcake liner as well. Anyways, wish I could give the recipe a better rating but they didn’t work out for me.
These are amazing! I made them tonight with my daughter for her homeschool co-op project. She has to make something to “sell” at market.
I accidentally didn’t use stick butter for the icing so it was thin but I was able to doctor it up. Next time I’ll remember not to use margarine.
These are adorable!
These cupcakes are so cute and sound really delicious! A must try!
I love the candy cane handle. Such a cute decorative touch!
perfect for the holiday season! came across this as we approach July 4 but saving as we know how quickly time flies…
These are so cute. They would be perfect for Christmas.
Sorry to hear your friend is moving. Close friends are the best. These cupcakes are cute and fun, I love them. Hope your paths cross again in the future. Cheers for sharing!
This cake recipe is one of the bests I’ve ever used. So moist and favorable. I also just adapted it to make vanilla ones by subbing the cocoa powder with vanilla pudding mix. The consistency is amazing and I’m REALLY picky with homemade cake.
The marshmallow buttercream is my new go to frosting – LOVE IT!!!
My only tip to those attempting the recipe – aim for filling the cups more to half full – rather than 2/3… I had an overflow issue, but was able to salvage them by taking kitchen shears to trim the edges and then frosted to the edge. I just made a second batch only filling them half full and I have 36 perfect cupcakes 🙂
Glad you enjoyed them and thanks for the tips!
@Jaylpro I think your overflow issue was probably because you substituted cocoa powder (which doesn’t have rising agent) for pudding mix (which does) not because of the recipe 🙂