These hot cocoa cupcakes have a chocolate ganache filling and are topped with homemade toasted marshmallow frosting! The chocolate cupcakes are possibly my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe ever; they're so soft and moist and stay that way for days. I love making these cupcakes during the cozy winter months!
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I know Christmas cookies are a favorite for holiday baking, but you have to try these hot cocoa cupcakes! I tried to put my favorite parts of a hot chocolate into this cupcake: marshmallows and a rich, deep chocolate flavor!
I asked over on Instagram if you guys wanted these cupcakes filled with ganache or more homemade marshmallow filling. The overwhelming consensus was...ganache!
I did test them both ways and honestly, both are delicious.
Recipe Testing These Cupcakes!
When I first tested these cupcakes, I knew I wanted to tweak my regular chocolate cupcake recipe.
I slightly increased the flour as well as the neutral oil to help the texture of the cupcakes, as well as make them more moist. The result? Chocolate cupcakes that stay super moist - even after being stored in the fridge!
Grab Your Ingredients!
- Cocoa Powder: Make sure you're using natural cocoa powder! Check the ingredients label if you aren't sure what you have! If it says 'alkali' or 'acidity regulator', it's Dutch-processed.
- Oil: You'll need a neutral oil like vegetable oil or canola oil. Using oil instead of butter will keep our cupcakes super moist.
- Espresso Powder: Totally optional, but adding espresso powder will deepen the chocolate flavor.
- Cream of Tartar: You'll need cream of tartar for the meringue frosting. Don't skip this out! It'll help keep the frosting stable.
- Egg Whites: We'll need egg whites for the marshmallow frosting. I find it easier to separate eggs when they're cold, but then you'll need to let the egg whites get to room temperature.
Let's Make Cupcakes!
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with liners. In a large bowl, whisk all of the dry ingredients together.
Step 2: In a medium bowl or jug, whisk all of the wet ingredients (except the hot water!) together until smooth.
Step 3: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Whisk the hot water with the espresso powder (if using) and slowly pour it into the bowl. This is a very liquidy batter!
Step 4: Fill up your cupcake liners so they're ¾ full - we don't want to overfill them or they'll overflow in the oven! Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack.
Step 5: Make your ganache. Heat up heavy cream and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Let sit at room temperature until set.
Step 6: Make your frosting! I have a whole post on making meringue frosting. Place egg whites, sugar, salt, & cream of tartar in a metal bowl over a pan with an inch of simmering water. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. Place in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whisk until you have stiff, glossy peaks.
Step 7: Core your chocolate cupcakes. You can use a cupcake corer, or what I do is use the base of a large piping tip! Spoon in or pipe in your chocolate ganache.
Step 8: Using a piping bag with a large tip, pipe the meringue frosting on top of the cupcakes. You can keep them like this or if you want it toasty ✨, use a kitchen blowtorch or place the cupcakes briefly (and I mean, very briefly) under the broiler.
My Top Baking Tips & Notes
- Ganache. If your ganache isn't smooth and there are chunks of chocolate, you can place the bowl in the microwave in 5-second increments. You don't want it to get too hot, or it'll split!
- Toasting Meringue. I have tested this recipe with a kitchen blowtorch (which I am absolutely terrified of! So be careful) and also under the broiler. You get a prettier toasted look with a blowtorch, but you can still get it toasted under the broiler. Keep a very close eye on it.
- Marshmallow Filling. Feel free to leave out the ganache filling and swap it out for more marshmallow frosting, or just leave it out entirely!
- Storage. Because of the meringue frosting, these cupcakes are best on the day of making. You can store them in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Made This Recipe?
Make sure to leave a ⭐️ rating and review below! You can tag me on Instagram @alpineella or follow along on Pinterest, Facebook and TikTok!
Thank you!
Ella
Recipe
Hot Cocoa Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (135 grams) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (42 grams) cocoa powder natural unsweetened
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup (66 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (113 grams) sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ cup (118 ml) hot water
Marshmallow Frosting
- 4 large (120 grams) egg whites room temperature
- ¾ cup (175 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Filling
- ½ cup (113 ml) heavy cream
- 4 oz (113 grams) semisweet chocolate chopped
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C and place 14 cupcake liners in your cupcake pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, light brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.1 cup + 2 tablespoons (135 grams) all purpose flour, ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, ½ cup (100 grams) light brown sugar, ½ cup (42 grams) cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- In a mug or small cup, mix together the espresso powder and hot water until the espresso powdered has dissolved. Set aside.1 teaspoon espresso powder, ½ cup (118 ml) hot water
- In a large jug, whisk the eggs, oil, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.2 large eggs , ⅓ cup (66 ml) vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup (113 grams) sour cream
- Pour the wet mixture into the flour, stirring until it is just about smooth - we don't want to over mix the batter! Then pour in the hot coffee and mix until smooth.
- Fill the cupcake liners so they're ¾ full and bake for 18-20 minutes. A toothpick inserted should come out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool for 15 minutes in the tray, then take them out and place on a cooling rack.
Chocolate Filling
- Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until steaming - you don't want it to boil.½ cup (113 ml) heavy cream
- Pour over the steaming heavy cream over the chopped chocolate, let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Let sit until hardened.4 oz (113 grams) semisweet chocolate
- Once your cupcakes have cooled completely, use a cupcake corer or the base of a large piping tip to core each cupcake. Set the cupcakes aside.
- Scoop out chocolate ganache from the medium bowl into a piping bag with a round tip, and fill each cupcake with ganache. You can also use a spoon to do this but I found using the piping bag was much easier! If the ganache has gotten too hard, place in the microwave in 5 second increments until it's scoopable.
Marshmallow Frosting
- Place the egg whites, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl - I prefer using a metal bowl for this.4 large (120 grams) egg whites , ¾ cup (175 grams) granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, pinch salt
- Fill a saucepan with an inch or two of water on the stove and place over medium-low heat, so the water begins to simmer. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.
- Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves. It'll go from thick to frothy. To test, I like to (carefully!) lift the whisk up and rub the mixture between my fingers. You shouldn't feel any of the sugar.
- Take the bowl off the double boiler and place in your stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a handheld mixer). Add the vanilla.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Beat on high speed for 5 minutes, or until you get stiff and glossy peaks.
- Frost your cupcakes. Optional, but use a kitchen torch to toast the frosting and enjoy!
Save This Recipe! 💌
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