Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting
Chocolatey goodness topped with a sweet marshmallow buttercream, these hot chocolate cupcakes a delicious rendition of a warm cup of hot chocolate dressed up as a cupcake. They’re simple to make, coming together in just one bowl.
What fun cupcakes these were to make. And adorable at that! The cupcakes are perfectly light and moist, thanks to the cake flour, and the frosting is just sweet enough. Since the cupcakes mix up in one bowl, you should be able to make these in no time with minimal clean up. My favorite words.
If you’re looking for more chocolatey goodness, try my Ultimate Triple Chocolate Scones, my One Bowl Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies (who doesn’t love that combination), or my Chocolate Hazelnut Blondies.
Why this recipe works
Taste? I love the flavor of these cupcakes. So chocolatey and so sweet with the fluffy marshmallow buttercream.
Smell? These cupcakes have a light, chocolatey smell as their baking.
Easy to make? Because these cupcakes mix up in one bowl, they are pretty easy to make. The frosting comes together easily as well. You’ll have some amazing cupcakes in no time.
Would I make it again? I will definitely be making these cupcakes multiple times, they are so delicious!
Ingredients
- Cake Flour Using cake flour made these cupcakes so light and tender, which is exactly what we’re going for.
- If you don’t have cake flour, you can use 14 tablespoons of all-purpose flour with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch sifted together. This will give you one cup of flour. Since this recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups, you’ll want to make 2 cups, if using this substitution.
- Cocoa powder You can use either natural cocoa powder or Dutch process cocoa powder.
- Granulated sugar I don’t use a whole cup in this recipe since it’s such a sweet dessert overall.
- Baking soda and baking powder
- Eggs Large, room temperature.
- Butter Salted or unsalted, room temperature. If using salted, then omit the salt in the recipe. Use a quality butter. Yes, it can be more expensive, but worth it in the end.
- I wish my butter of choice came in unsalted, but I have never found it. Therefore, I either omit or reduce the salt in a recipe. I write my recipes for unsalted butter though, as most other butter comes in salted or unsalted.
- Oil I use vegetable or canola oil as they are neutral oils. You don’t want the flavor of the oil to over power the chocolate flavor.
- Hot water Not only does hot water add moisture, it also intensifies the chocolate flavor.
- Salt Helps to bring out the flavors.
Notes and Substitutions
Using hot water in chocolate cake/cupcake recipes helps to enhance the chocolate flavor. Do not use milk, sour cream, or yogurt. These can dull the flavor of the chocolate, which is what we don’t want.
You can use hot coffee instead of water, but it will give more of a mocha type flavor, which can be really good!
I really prefer using cake flour in this recipe over all-purpose flour. Cake flour makes for a finer crumb and more tenderness, while all-purpose flour yields a courser crumb. You can make your own cake flour by sifting together 14 tablespoons of AP flour and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
How to Make Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
This recipe is simple to make and can be made in one bowl. You can use either a stand mixer or a hand mixer. I use the reverse creaming method to make these cupcakes. This just means that I first mix the dry ingredients together, then mix in the softened butter.
Next, mix in the oil, add the eggs one at a time, then add the water. I poured the batter into a large measuring cup to make it easier to fill the cupcake wells. This isn’t necessary, but it is helpful.
Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners and fill 2/3 full of batter. Bake for 18-22 minutes at 350 F, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting. You’ll want to wait until the cupcakes are completely cooled off before frosting them. You can use any kind of tip for frosting the cupcakes. Decorate with chocolate syrup, crushed peppermints, and marshmallows. I recommend refrigerating these right after frosting and decorating them as it is a softer frosting. That being said, I brought these to work and was able to leave them sitting out so people could grab them throughout the day and the frosting held up very well.
For full recipe ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below,
Reverse Creaming Method
You may be asking ‘what is the reverse creaming method’? It’s pretty simple. It’s when you mix the dry ingredients together first, then cream in the softened butter. The flour is coated with butter, limiting gluten development, which results in a smoother and more tender crumb. Plus, it makes the entire baking process that much easier as you are mixing everything up in one bowl rather than two. If you’d like to learn even more, King Arthur has a great article on reverse creaming.
Marshmallow Frosting
The marshmallow frosting couldn’t be any easier to make. It’s essentially a buttercream frosting with marshmallow fluff. I cut the amount of powdered sugar added into it because the marshmallow fluff is so sweet. All you need to do is cream the softened butter, then add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing in between each cup. Add the marshmallow fluff one cup at a time and mix in between each cup. Mix in the vanilla, salt, and cornstarch and you’re done. Store frosting in the fridge until ready to use. Be sure to get it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you need to use it or you will have a really tough time piping it onto the cupcakes.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy delicious desserts that come together in one bowl and are easy to clean up, then try any of the following. What could be better than a dessert that’s easy to clean up?
- Classic Homemade Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Easy White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies
- Easy One Bowl Brownies
- Easy One Bowl Apple Spice Cupcakes
Unfrosted, these cupcakes can sit on the countertop in an airtight container for up to a week. If you expect to have them longer than that, you’ll want to freeze them. Frosted cupcakes need to be refrigerated in an airtight container, they will last up to 4 days.
Yes, these cupcakes are perfect for freezing. Let the cupcakes cool down completely, then wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then tinfoil. Store in freezer safe bags in the freezer for up to six months. I don’t recommend frosting them before freezing them. It’s easy enough to whip up a batch of frosting when you need it.
Since this recipe is written for either one, it’s your choice on which one you want to use. Dutch process cocoa will produce a darker cupcake than natural cocoa, but they will both be excellent!
Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 1/4 cup cake flour
- 1/2 cup natural or Dutch process cocoa
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup vegetable of canola oil
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Marshmallow Frosting
- 8 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 cups marshmallow fluff
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with liners.
- Add dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream the butter (1/2 cup butter) into the dry ingredients. (1 1/4 cup cake flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt)
- Mix in the 1/2 cup of oil. Mix in the eggs (2), one at a time. Add the 1/2 cup of hot water and mix in. Pour the batter into the cupcake pan, filling each well about 2/3 of the way full. If you want, you can first pour the batter into a large glass measuring cup, making it easier to fill the wells.
- Bake cupcakes for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Let them sit for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. You want to be sure the cupcakes are fully cooled off before frosting. I like to put mine in the fridge once they have cooled down from the oven.
Marshmallow Frosting
- Cream the softened butter (1 cup), add the powdered sugar (3 cups) 1 cup at a time, and mix well with the butter. Add the marshmallow fluff (3 cups) 1 cup at a time. Add the vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), cornstarch (1 tablespoon), and a pinch of salt (1/8 teaspoon). Mix until smooth.
Notes
- Unfrosted cupcakes can sit on the countertop in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Cupcakes freeze very well. Be sure they are fully cooled down before freezing. Wrap individually in plastic wrap then tinfoil and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to six months. I do not recommend frosting them before freezing them.
- Water helps to enhance the flavor of the chocolate. You can use either hot water or hot coffee in this recipe. Using hot coffee will result in a more mocha-like flavor.
- Do not use milk products in this recipe. It will dull the flavor of the chocolate.
- You can substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour if you don’t have cake flour. 14 tablespoons of AP flour and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch sifted together equals one cup of cake flour.
Nutrition
About Author
