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    Home » Recipes » Desserts » Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

    Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

    November 23, 2021 by Tiffany Leave a Comment

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    Enjoy this hot chocolate cupcake recipe made with a moist cocoa cake with velvety texture topped with a pillowy marshmallow frosting and mini marshmallows.

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

    Hot Chocolate Cupcakes in a Mug

    Hot chocolate cupcakes are perfect for those cooler months when you want to curl up next to a fire under a cozy blanket with a hot drink. Why not add dessert?

    Hot Chocolate Vs Hot Cocoa

    Both are tasty chocolatey drinks, however, classic hot cocoa is made with cocoa, milk, and sugar or sweetener. Whereas, hot chocolate or “drinking chocolate” is a rich, creamy drink made of shaved or chopped chocolate and milk or cream. Hot chocolate also tends to be thicker.

    Cupcake Baking Guide

    Both are known to be topped with marshmallows or whipped cream.

    Now that we know the differences between the two, it’s probably more appropriate to call these hot cocoa cupcakes with the sugar added.

    Looking for more fall cupcakes? Try these 36 fun fall cupcake recipes!

    Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

    Hot Chocolate Cupcake Ingredients

    Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

    • Butter
    • Sugar
    • Large Eggs
    • Pure Vanilla Extract
    • Water
    • Cocoa Powder
    • All-Purpose Flour
    • Baking Powder
    • Baking Soda
    • Salt
    • Buttermilk

    Marshmallow Frosting

    • Egg Whites
    • Sugar
    • Cream of Tartar
    • Water
    • Pure Vanilla Extract

    Topping

    • Mini Marshmallows
    • Mini Candy Canes
    Hot Chocolate Cupcakes in a Mug

    How to Make Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place 24 cupcake liners in muffin pans.
    2. In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Separate egg yolks from egg whites in two separate bowls. Set egg whites aside. Add egg yolks, water, and vanilla to the mixing bowl. Sift together all dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk beating well after each addition.
    3. Using a whisk or hand mixer, whip egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the chocolate cupcake batter until well incorporated.
    Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
    Cupcakes in a muffin pan
    1. Add approximately 3 tablespoons of batter to each cupcake liner to fill ⅔ full.
    2. Bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

    How to Make Marshmallow Frosting

    1. Bring 2″ of water to boil in a saucepan (or use a double-boiler for this step). Place a heat-proof bowl over the top of the saucepan. Add all of the marshmallow frosting ingredients to the bowl except vanilla and continuously whisk until sugar is dissolved and eggs become foamy. Remove from heat.
    A whisk whipping liquid ingredients in a bowl
    Marshmallow Frosting in a bowl
    1. Stir in vanilla extract.
    2. Next, use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to whip the mixture on high-speed into stiff glossy peaks, about 5 minutes.
    3. Use a Wilton 2A icing tip to create a soft swirled look on top of the cupcake. Add mini marshmallows and a mini candy cane for topping.

    Cocoa Substitutes

    A great cocoa powder substitute is unsweetened baking chocolate which has a lot of cocoa properties and no sweeteners. In this recipe, you don’t have to worry about it being unsweetened because there’s plenty of sugar added to the batter.

    In order to substitute unsweetened chocolate for cocoa powder, use 2 tablespoons of unsweetened chocolate for every 3 tablespoons of cocoa in the recipe.

    For my hot chocolate cupcake recipe, I use 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of unsweetened chocolate. Because it is typically sold by the ounce, it translates to 1.65 ounces which can be rounded up to 1.75 ounces of unsweetened chocolate bar in this recipe.

    Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

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    Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

    Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

    Enjoy this hot chocolate cupcake recipe made with a moist cocoa cake with velvety texture topped with a pillowy marshmallow frosting and mini marshmallows.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 22 minutes
    Total Time: 37 minutes
    Servings: 24 Cupcakes

    Ingredients

    Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

    • 1 cup Butter, room temperature
    • 2 cups White Granulated Sugar
    • 2 Large Eggs, egg whites separated from yolks
    • 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
    • ½ cup Water
    • ½ cup Cocoa Powder (4 ounces)
    • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • ¼ teaspoon Salt
    • 1 cup Buttermilk

    Marshmallow Frosting

    • 2 Egg Whites
    • 1 ½ cups White Granulated Sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
    • ⅓ cup Water
    • 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

    Toppings

    • Mini Marshmallows
    • Mini Candy Canes

    Instructions
     

    Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place 24 cupcake liners in pans.
    • In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Separate egg yolks and egg whites in two separate dishes. Reserve egg whites in a bowl. Add egg yolks, water, and vanilla to the mixing bowl. Sift together all dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk beating well after each addition.
    • Using a whisk or hand mixer, whip egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the chocolate cupcake batter.
    • Add approximately 3 tablespoons of batter to each cupcake liner.
    • Bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

    Marshmallow Frosting

    • Bring 2" of water to boil in a saucepan (or use a double-boiler for this step). Place a heat-proof bowl over the top of the saucepan. Add all of the marshmallow frosting ingredients to the bowl except vanilla and continuously whisk until sugar is dissolved and eggs become foamy.
    • Add vanilla extract. Then, either use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to whip the mixture on high-speed into stiff glossy peaks, about 5 minutes.
    • Use a Wilton 2A icing tip to create a soft swirled look on top of the cupcake. Add mini marshmallows and a mini candy cane for topping.

    Recommended Products

    Wilton No. 2A Decorating Tip
    Wilton Disposable 16-Inch Decorating Bags, 12 Pack
    Red Cupcake Liners
    Wilton Non-Stick Muffin and Cupcake Pan

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn referral fees from products I love and recommend at no extra cost to you.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 236 kcalCarbohydrates: 39 gProtein: 3 gFat: 9 gSaturated Fat: 5 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1 gMonounsaturated Fat: 2 gTrans Fat: 1 gCholesterol: 35 mgSodium: 169 mgPotassium: 70 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 30 gVitamin A: 273 IUCalcium: 30 mgIron: 1 mg
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    Filed Under: Christmas Recipes, Cupcakes, Desserts, Fall Recipes, Kid-Friendly Recipes, New Year's Recipes, Thanksgiving Recipes, Valentine's Day Recipes

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    About Me

    Welcome, I'm Tiffany! My love for cooking began in the kitchen with my grandmother at the age of 5. Some of the recipes have been passed down to me and others I create as I go. Simply Happenings was created to share quick and delicious meals for your family highlighting air fryer and Instant Pot recipes. Enjoy! Read More…

    • Links in this post/page are Amazon Affiliate links to products I love and recommend. I earn a referral fee at no extra cost to you.

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