Is there anything more fun than a chocolate cupcake with marshmallow frosting dipped in chocolate?! These homemade chocolate cupcakes are fun to look at and even more fun to eat-especially with my favorite marshmallow frosting!
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Marshmallow Frosting
I think cupcakes with marshmallow frosting are also known as Hi-Hat Cupcakes, but before seeing them on Pinterest I had no idea these little beauties existed! Once I saw them, I knew I had to add them to my dessert collection!
And oh my goodness, they are so yummy and so fun to make! I love how you can cut down the middle and get a perfect cross section of the cupcake, frosting and hard chocolate shell. Amazing!
Chocolate Cupcakes are my favorite!
Marshmallow Frosting- YES PLEASE!
Something else I love about these chocolate cupcakes is that they have the marshmallow frosting! I love marshmallows of all kinds (including Peeps! I know, I know!). And for these cupcakes I thought it’d be perfect to add a little Easter coloring to the frosting for a fun surprise!
I left some frosting white, and then dyed the rest light purple and light green. So fun!
I also tried out different tips when piping the frosting on because I had 24 cupcakes and I figured why not!
Okay, let’s talk about the amazing chocolate cupcake. This chocolate cupcake recipe from scratch isn’t too complicated and produces a delicious cupcake every time!
I’ve even used this recipe to make a cake before and it was amazing! (If box mixes are more your style that's okay too! I have a super easy boxed cake mix with upgrades recipe too!)
Tips for making these chocolate cupcake recipe from scratch:
- I like to fill the cupcake liners only about ⅔rds full so that they have a nice flat area to pipe on the frosting.
- Add the espresso powder- it helps bring out more of the chocolate flavor!
- If you don't have espresso powder use a little bit of strongly brewed coffee instead
Don't care if they are from scratch? Check out my super easy and delicious doctored cake mix chocolate cupcakes!
How to make Marshmallow Frosting:
- Combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a heat proof bowl. Set over simmering water- but make sure it doesn't touch the water.
- Whisk until well combined and frothy.
- Add in your extract and any food coloring and transfer to a cold stand mixer.
- Whisk on high until stiff peaks form.
- Pipe onto cupcakes and refrigerate for 30 minutes to help set the frosting.
Tips for making the marshmallow frosting:
- When the bowl is over the simmering water whisk continually so you don't get scrambled eggs!
- I like to keep my mixing bowl in the refrigerator so it's nice and cold when I pour the egg white mixture in.
- Sometimes after whisking into stiff peaks I will refrigerate the frosting before piping so it sets up even more.
- The key to this frosting is to keep it cold (after you cook it!).
Then to top everything off (pun intended!), I dipped these amazing cupcakes in a chocolate hard shell.
Tips for dipping your cupcakes in a chocolate hard shell:
- It’s the same type of chocolate that creates a hard shell if you pour it on ice cream! Super easy to make too- just melt chocolate chips and coconut oil together and then dip away!
- I use the refined coconut oil so it doesn’t leave a coconut taste, but hey if you like coconut flavor go ahead and use unrefined! Either type of coconut oil will work!
- I also recommend keeping the cupcakes in the fridge until you are ready to dip and then dip them fast. You don't want the frosting to melt off of the cupcake and fall into the chocolate.
There is something wonderful about eating a cupcake! Am I right?! What’s your favorite type of cupcake or cake? Do you love marshmallow as much as me? Let me know in a comment below!
For more awesome desserts (and lots of cupcakes!) check out my desserts! You will find recipes like gluten free sweet potato cupcakes with a brown sugar buttercream frosting, pinata cupcakes, and the best triple layered chocolate cake!
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Chocolate Cupcakes with a Marshmallow Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ⅓ cup cake flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso
- ⅓ cup boiling water
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
- 1 extra-large yolk at room temperature
Marshmallow Frosting
- 10 egg whites*
- 2 ¼ cups sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract*
- Food Coloring optional
Chocolate Shell
- 3 tbs refined coconut oil*
- 3 cups chocolate chips*
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Sift flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. (1 ⅓ cup cake flour, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt)
- Boil water and add espresso to it, stirring until dissolved. (⅓ cup water, ½ teaspoon instant espresso)
- Whisk cocoa powder, then buttermilk and vanilla into water/espresso mixture. (⅓ cup cocoa powder, ½ cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla))
- Using a stand mixer, whisk sugar and butter until fluffy. About 10 minutes. (1 ¼ cup sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter)
- Add each egg and the yolk, one at a time, into the butter mixture, letting each one fully mix into the batter before adding the next. About 2-3 minutes of mixing in between each egg. Add in oil and mix until fully combined. (2 extra large eggs, 1 extra large yolk)
- Fold in ½ of the flour mixture and then fold in ½ of the buttermilk mixture to the batter. Then fold in remaining flour and then remaining buttermilk mixture.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Marshmallow Frosting
- Combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a heat proof bowl/double boiler. Set over pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. (10 egg whites, 2 ¼ cup sugar, ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar)
- Whisk until well combined and frothy. It will be slightly warm. About 7 minutes.
- Add vanilla extract and food coloring if using and then transfer to a stand mixer (you can also use a hand mixer). Using the whisk attachments beat the mixture on high until stiff peaks form. About 5-10 minutes. (2 ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract)
- Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and stick in the fridge for about 30 minutes to help it set up.
Chocolate Shell
- Melt chocolate and coconut oil and combine. To melt, microwave ingredients for 30 seconds, and then stir. Microwave another 30 seconds, stir and repeat until everything is melted. (3 tbs refined coconut oil, 3 cups chocolate chips)
- Dip cupcakes quickly into melted chocolate, letting excess chocolate drip off. Once all have been dipped, refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to help the chocolate set up completely.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Check out these other delicious desserts:
Asia
Omg, they look so yummy! I could have all od them. All of them! Right now!
Lisa
Thanks! They are super tasty!
Fred Nonterah
Wow, chocolate cupcakes with marshmallow frosting! I love to bake but never have I tried this one. My son is a big fan of cupcakes and I'm sure he'll love this one. Thanks for sharing!
Lisa
Thank you!
Camila
Girl, these cupcakes are phenomenal! They look like they came straight out of a magazine!! Awesome!!
Lisa
Thanks Camila! They tasted pretty good too haha!
Kacie
The marshmallow frosting looks divine - if only I had the patience to make these for myself!
Lisa
It is totally worth the time haha!
April
Oh my my my! I love the way the chocolate cupcakes look. I can see my 5 year old going straight for the beautiful chocolate coating first. This looks so delicious!
Lisa
Thank you!
Heather
Wow wow WOW! First of all these cupcakes look amazing. Second of all... THAT CHOCOLATE SHELL!! What an amazing idea! Definitely need to give these a try 🙂
Lisa
Thank you! The chocolate shell is my favorite part! I love that it cuts so cleanly!
Stephanie
These look delicious! Your photos are lovely, too 🙂 Thanks for the tip about buying a carton of egg whites - I was JUST thinking to myself "But what would I do with 10 egg yolks!" Super helpful - thanks!!
Lisa
Right! It sure is handy to be able to get a carton of them!
Kimberly
These look AMAZING!! Does the espresso give them a coffee flavor? And do you use milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips?
Lisa
The espresso just deepens the chocolate flavor without making it taste like espresso- although I wouldn't mind if it did taste like espresso! I used milk chocolate for this recipe, but you could use any type you want the chocolate shell to be!
Barb
I can’t wait to try making these! They look fun and delicous!! I’ll rate based on the picture & recipe, and how much I salivate when I read the recipe / look at the picture!
Lisa
Thanks!
Barb
Forgot to click on the rating button.
Jo Soriano Ferguson
Could I use A Marshmellow in stead of egg whites .
Lisa
Do you mean marshmallow cream instead of the frosting or put actual marshmallows instead of the egg whites? For the first one I haven't tried it with marshmallow cream so I don't know, but I'd think it probably wouldn't work since it isn't very stiff to hold it's shape (hence in fills the container like a liquid would). The second using marshmallows instead of egg whites won't work either because the egg whites are necessary to stiffen the frosting.
Marcie L. Reinertson
Ok folks I have made everything exactly as the recipe states but every time I dip the cupcake the marshmallow falls in the chocolate.
Any ideas?
Lisa
Oh no! I’m sorry you are having so much trouble. The cupcakes are cold and you refrigerate the the frosted cupcakes for at least a half hour? Are you using the melted chocolate chips or a different chocolate ganache? I guess I reckoned refrigerating it even freezing them a little longer. Also allow your chocolate to cool but not solidify. I know I started to have some slippage towards the end of dipping since the cupcakes weren’t cold enough.
Marcie L. Reinertson
Yes, they were in refrig for 45 minutes. I used Nestle Chips. I even tried freezing a couple.
Could it be I live in the mountains?
Lisa
Maybe! Did the frosting turn into stiff peaks like a meringue? It could've possibly been over or under whipped, or it was an altitude thing! Your chocolate chips and coconut oil is a standard hard shell so that should be fine. Sorry again I can't figure it out- wish I could help more!
Valerie
What sugar are you using caster or icing
Lisa
I used just normal granulated but castor would work too!
Bob
Wow, like the look of these. They remind me of a cookie when I was a kid but I can't think of the name.
Lisa
Thanks Bob! I think I know what you are talking about! How fun!
Ava
Can I use instant coffee instead of instant espresso?
Lisa
Yep!