Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

 

This recipe is adapted from the Food Librarian's chocolate bundt cake recipe.  It's delicious as both bundt and cupcake but I find the cupcake easier to distribute to neighbors (which is key to maintaining my figure during the holiday season, *wink*).  The frosting is similar to marshmallow fluff but includes none of the scary additives or corn syrup found in the processed store bought variety.  Paula Deen is to thank for the best version of the recipe that I have so far discovered.

FOR CUPCAKES

1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/4 c plus 1 T (or 5 T) cocoa

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 t salt
2 t cinnamon

1/2 c buttermilk
1 t baking soda

2 eggs
2 t vanilla

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees

 

• Bring to a boil in a pot: Water, oil, butter and cocoa

 

• In a large bowl, combine together with a whisk: flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon

 

• Add the chocolate mixture to the flour and mix until combined.

 

• Add the buttermilk and baking soda and mix. Add eggs (after beating in a small bowl) and vanilla extract to combine.

 

• Fill lined cupcake pan 3/4 full in each cup (with a 12 cup muffin tin you will have leftover batter).

 

• Bake until inserted tester comes clean (approximately 20 minutes).

 

 

FOR FROSTING 

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
2 egg whites
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• Place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. 

 

• Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. 

 

• Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. (If this happens, it could cause your frosting to become grainy). Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. 

 

• Beat in vanilla.

Cool cupcakes before frosting.  My proportions yielded 18 cupcakes and enough frosting to cover the entire batch.  Use a teaspoon sized spoon to dollop each cupcake with frosting (a little swirl can be achieved by twisting the spoon as you pull away from the cupcake after depositing the frosting).

~Happy Thursday Everyone~