Hot Cocoa Cupcakes

 

Winter weather just seems to call for hot cocoa to be on hand and I decided to turn it into a cupcake recipe to share this week.

And since there seems to be a divide between people as to which is more appropriate to top the hot cocoa marshmallows or whipped cream I decided that rather than choose just one why not feature both in these decadent cupcakes.

So here we have a hot cocoa cupcake with a marshmallow filling topped with my favorite whipped cream frosting. These are so perfect for a special dessert at the end of a cold day.

Remember this is a small batch/small family blog so we are only making about 8 cupcakes.

For the cupcake base we are starting out with a third of a standard box of a chocolate cake mix. I give the details on how to divide the box in my blog post you can find with this link. It is really easy and I try to have a variety of flavors of mix divided and ready to work with in my pantry all the time. For today’s cupcakes I used a Devil’s Food but use your favorite chocolate version.

We are making a few changes to the normal mix of ingredients for this batch. In place of the water called for on the box I used some chocolate milk. And if you have read any of my cupcake blog posts before you might already know I always add a bit of vanilla to take away a bit of the “mix” flavor.

This time we also are going to need 2 regular size marshmallows for each cupcake. We’ll talk about that in a moment.

 

 

 

So start combining the wet ingredients for the cupcake (chocolate milk, egg, oil, and vanilla) beat these together to combine them. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now add your portioned cake mix and using a mixer combine it beating for no more than one and a half minutes. I usually stop at just over a minute. This is the key to having the best rise in the small batch.

 

 

 

Now line 8 cups in a cupcake/muffin pan with double layered liners. I found out by accident that this small step makes these cupcakes so much easier to get out of the pan after baking. I had a couple of liners that had stuck together and got two by mistake for a couple of my cupcakes. These came out of the pan so much easier. The others came out okay but I was so much happier with the double layered ones.

 

 

Fill the liners up a bit less than you normally would. So since I normally get 6 or seven cupcakes from my batches I got 8 this time.

 

 

 

 

 

Once you have the batter placed add a single marshmallow to each one. This marshmallow is
going to do two things I is going to melt into the surrounding cupcake batter as it bakes giving a wonderful flavor. It is also going to give us a place to put the second marshmallow once the cupcakes are baked.

 

 

 

 

 

Bake the cupcakes for the normal time. You will have to judge the doneness on just the rim of the cupcake since there is no batter in the middle. You should have a gooey marshmallow crater like this in each cupcake.

 

 

 

 

 

Once baked remove from the oven and immediately add a new marshmallow to each cupcake. Then put them back in the oven for 2 more minutes to help melt the marshmallows.

 

 

 

 

 

Remove from the oven and allow to sit in the pan for 10 minutes then move to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

 

 

Let’s talk about the frosting now, I love this recipe and use it all the time. The secret I have found is that I need to make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature when I make the frosting. So my normal thing to do is remove the cream cheese from the fridge when I put the cupcakes in the oven. Then it can sit at room temperature until I am ready to use it. If I skip this step and don’t let it come all the way to room temperature I find the cream cheese flavor is much stronger. If it is room temperature it is not really noticeable in the finished frosting. Since I want this frosting to taste like whipped cream for these cupcakes that is really an important step.

 

 

 

When you are ready to frost your cup cakes beat the cream cheese until it is fluffy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then add the powdered sugar and beat until combined and fluffy again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now add the vanilla to the heavy cream and add this slowly to the cream cheese mixture beating on low until you have it all added. Scrap the bowl often during this process and take your time.

 

 

 

 

 

Once the cream is all added beat on high until stiff peaks form. This will take a couple of minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now you are ready to pipe the frosting onto the tops of your cupcakes.

 

 

 

 

I added a just a sprinkle of baking cocoa to the top.

The cupcakes will need to be stored in the refrigerator but I think they taste better and are much better if allowed to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. This way both the frosting and the marshmallows become a bit softer.

You can find a downloadable/printable version of this recipe here.

Hot Cocoa Cupcakes

 

⅓ of a box of chocolate cake mix

⅓ cup chocolate milk

1 egg

3 ½ Tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

about 16 regular size marshmallows

 

 

Start by preheating your oven to the temperature your box of cake mix calls for, mine was 350°F. Line your cupcake pan with 2 paper liners in each spot or grease really well.

Combine the chocolate milk, egg, oil and vanilla in a mixing bowl and combine well.

Add the cake mix and beat for up to 90 seconds.

Portion into cupcake pan adding just a little less than you normally would.

Add 1 marshmallow to each cupcake and bake according to instructions on your cake mix. Mine was baked at 350°F for about 18 minutes.

Remove from the oven and place another marshmallow into each cupcake and return to the oven for 2 minutes to slightly melt the marshmallows.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes then move to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Whipped Cream Frosting

 

3 oz cream cheese (the kind in the block not the tub) softened at room temperature

⅓ cup powdered sugar

¾ cup heavy whipping cream

¼ to ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

 

 

 

Begin by beating the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat on medium again until smooth, scrapping the bowl and beaters often with a spatula.

Add the vanilla to the heavy cream. With the mixer on low very slowly add the cream/vanilla mixture until all is incorporated. Scrape the bowl and the beaters often during this process so it is all combined evenly.

Turn the mixer up to high and beat until stiff peaks form.

Be sure to store any leftover frosting in the refrigerator.

I dusted the tops of my cupcakes with a bit of baking cocoa as a garnish.

Although these cupcakes need to be refrigerated they are best served after sitting at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

 

For the my cupcake of the month for October this year I decided to go with something so simple but absolutely delicious, pumpkin. In my mind you really can't get any more on point for the month of October than pumpkin so they are perfect. I paired them with a divine cream cheese frosting to make the perfect way to finish off dinner time this month. 

 

 

As always we are starting with a partial box of cake mix. In the blog post you can find here I gave directions on how I divide a standard box of cake mix from the grocery store to make it perfect for small batch baking. If you haven't read that blog post I recommend you go over and read it first then come back and read this one. It will help you get all set to make this recipe.

I find that I normally get 6 cupcakes from these recipes but I have friends that always get 8. You can expect to get 6 to 8 depending on your pan and how full you fill it.

I love this recipe because while it has a bit of pumpkin spice in it, it is much more pumpkin than pumpkin spice. If you want more of a spice twist to your cupcakes make exactly the same recipe using a spice cake mix and leaving out the pumpkin spice that I use today.

I do have to warn you these smell so yummy while baking they are going to have you ready to dig in immediately when they come out of the oven. Please hold off and wait until they are cooled and you have frosted them to get the complete experience.

Speaking of frosting the recipe makes enough to cover 8 cupcakes but if you have some leftover this is excellent spread between a couple of graham crackers for a wonder treat for the cook.

You can find a downloadable/printable version of this recipe here.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

⅓ of a box of yellow cake mix

⅓ cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

3 Tablespoons milk

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Start by preheating your oven to the temperature your box of cake mix calls for, mine was 350°F. Line your cupcake pan with paper liners or grease really well.

Combine the pumpkin, egg, milk, oil, spice, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and combine well.

Add the cake mix and beat for up to 90 seconds.

Portion into cupcake pan and bake according to instructions on your cake mix.

 

 Mine was baked at 350°F for about 20 minutes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes then move to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Small Batch Cream Cheese Frosting

¼ cup butter, softened

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar

Seasonal sprinkles if desired

Beat the softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until combined and starting to get fluffy.

Slowly add the powdered sugar beating until well combined and creamy.

Move frosting to a decorating bag equipped with a large decorating tip. Decorate your cupcakes as desired.

Almond Roca Cupcakes

For the cupcake for the month of September I decided to make one based on the candy Almond Roca. You might be asking why did I choose this flavor this month, well the reason is simple. This post is planned to go up on my blog on September 8^th which would have been my mom's birthday and Almond Roca was her favorite candy. So it only seemed fitting to make her favorite candy into a cupcake to celebrate her birthday. 

 

Since this is part of my monthly series of small batch cupcakes using a partial box of cake mix I had to come up with a way of making a yellow cake mix into a caramel cake. I knew immediately how I would do this if I was making the cake base from scratch but working with the mix took a bit of thinking. In the end I added two things to the mix to achieve the result I was looking for. This recipe took a bit more playing around and testing than a lot of the recipes in this series so I hope you all love it as much as I do and as much as I am sure mom would have also.

If you haven't read my blog post on dividing the cake mix click here to go there first. You will need to divide a box of yellow cake mix to make this recipe.

I did substitute milk for part of the water this month like have been doing recently in a few of the recipes. I like how much more like a scratch made cake it turns out with this simple switch. This time however I cut the milk back from ⅓ cup down to ¼ cup and I added in a Tablespoon of Caramel sauce (the kind you would put on ice cream) I also stirred some Heath bits into the batter at the end. Between the two I think the cupcake has a nice toffee like flavor. Please note that the cooked cup cake will be a bit darker that normal and this is normal. Also because of the addition of the chips I got one extra cupcake than I normally do. I normally get 6 and this recipe gives me 7.

To top the cupcakes I made a ganache with some chocolate chips and half & half cream. I let this cool and then dipped the tops of the cooled cupcakes into the chocolate and then immediately into some chopped slightly toasted almonds.

Allow the chocolate some time to set up in the fridge before serving.

While not an exact replica of the iconic candy I think it definitely is easy to see that it is inspired by the candy.

Click this link for a downloadable/printable copy of today's recipe.

Almond Roca Cupcakes

⅓ of a box of yellow cake mix

¼ cup milk

1 Tablespoon caramel sauce

1 egg

3 ½ Tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup Heath bits

For the topping:

½ cup chocolate chips

2 Tablespoons half & half

½ slivered almonds, coarsely chopped and lightly toasted

Start by preheating your oven to the temperature your box of cake mix calls for, mine was 350°F. Line your cupcake pan with paper liners or grease really well.

Combine the milk, caramel sauce, egg, oil and vanilla in a mixing bowl and combine well.

Add the cake mix and beat for up to 90 seconds.

Carefully stir in the Heath bits by hand.

Portion into cupcake pan and bake according to instructions on your cake mix. Mine was baked at 350°F for about 20 minutes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes then move to a cooling rack and cool completely.

While the cupcakes cool make your topping. Place the chocolate chips in small bowl. Heat the half & half and pour over the chocolate chips until melted and smooth.

 

 If they don't melt try microwaving on high for 10 second intervals until you can stir the mixture smooth. Allow to cool.

When everything has cooled to room temperature. Place the chopped, toasted almonds in a small bowl.

Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the chocolate mixture to coat then immediately into the chopped almonds.

Repeat with all the cupcakes.

 

 

Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

S'mores Cupcakes

 

For the month of August I have a small batch recipe for some cupcakes based on that perennial favorite the S'more. I know for me growing up s'mores were a summer time staple and I still love the combo. I mean marshmallow, chocolate and graham cracker whats not to love about that?

 

 

This recipe took a bit longer to get the way I wanted it that some of the cupcakes I have done in past months. The frosting especially was tricky, trying to get a balance of marshmallow flavor but not too sticky was very hard to get right. This version is not ideal but it is a compromise that will store for a couple of days in the fridge with out melting. As for the decoration on top I do recommend just putting the teddy shaped crackers on just before serving as they will get soft very quickly on top of the cupcakes. They are just too cute to not add though.

I had initially tried to use regular graham crackers in these but they tended to get lost in the batter, when I tried the chocolate covered ones I found they were perfect and they add just a bit more chocolate so a win/win for the cupcake.

Of course we using a portion of a boxed mix that was divided like in my blog post from February 2019 which you can find here. Because of the amount of add-in ingredients we will get a couple more cupcakes than normal. For me I usually get 6 cupcakes per batch and I get 8 from this one.

A downloadable/ printable version of today's recipe can be found here.

S'mores Cupcakes

⅓ of a box of yellow cake mix

⅓ cup water

1 egg

3 ½ Tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 chocolate covered graham cracker squares

2 (1.55 oz) milk chocolate bars (divided)

Coarsely chop the graham cracker squares.

Save off 8 of the squares from one of the chocolate bars and chop the remaining portion of this bar and the other one coarsely. Reserve the squares for decorating the top of the cupcakes.

Start by preheating your oven to the temperature your box of cake mix calls for, mine was 350°F. Line your cupcake pan with paper liners.

Combine the water, egg, oil and vanilla in a mixing bowl and combine well.

Add the cake mix and beat for up to 90 seconds.

Carefully stir in the chopped graham cracker and chopped chocolate.

Portion into cupcake pan and bake according to instructions on your cake mix. Mine was baked at 350°F for about 20 minutes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes then move to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Marshmallow Frosting

1/3 cup marshmallow creme

2 ½ Tablespoons butter, softened

2/3 cup powdered sugar

milk as needed

 

 

 

the reserved squares of chocolate

16 bear shaped graham crackers

Combine the marshmallow creme and butter until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. It is going to look like is not going to come together but be patient it will come together. Add milk only if necessary about ½ teaspoon at most.

Spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes.

Add one of the chocolate squares and 2 of the bear shaped graham crackers to decorate the top. (I would recommend not putting the bear crackers until just before serving)