Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

This post will follow the theme and complement the last post, about homemade marshmallow.Since I end up having a lot of the marshmallow left over after last week when we had my daughter's friends over for hot cocoa. Me and my daughter ,we decided to use the marshmallows to decorate cupcakes and that's how the hot chocolate cupcake idea came up.
One thing that I can always get my daughter involved in the kitchen is if I tell her that I want to bake cupcakes. She's fourteen and like any usual teenager, lots of thing are boring....Well but not cupcakes !!!
For the frosting we decided to make a swiss meringue buttercream because that would resemble more the whipped cream on top of a hot chocolate mug.

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

For the cake
Ingredients: 
(it makes about 12 cupcakes)

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• How to make it:
• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with cupcake paper liners.
• 1. Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.
• 1. Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes
• 1. Once the cupcakes come out of the oven, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frost them.
• 1. 
     

1. cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

     

cupcake batter is ready

into the oven!

For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients:
4 large egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar 
1/16 teaspoon salt 
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

How to make it :
In a bowl of an electric mixer add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 160°F.

With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes or so). *Don't begin adding butter until the bottom of the bowl feels neutral, and not warm.

Switch over to paddle attachment and with  the mixer on low speed, add butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). *If mixture is too runny, refrigerate for about 15 minutes and continue mixing with paddle attachment until it comes together. Add vanilla and salt, continuing to beat on low speed until well combined.
Using a pastry bag and a star pastry tip frost the cupcakes with the swiss meringue buttercream. Sprinkle a little bit of cocoa powder and cinnamon mix over the cupcakes and decorate with a star marshmallow, or mini marshmallows and a piece of peppermint candy cane. Ready to serve!
My daughter took them the school to share with some of her friends and they were very popular.
Enjoy
Pri =) 

Whisk constantly at this stage

Whipped until egg whites are thick

Add butter one cube at the time

Here is my cupcake decorator master 

they came out looking great and delicious!