Update 2022: After posting this recipe four years ago, I found that my one bowl chocolate cake recipe makes the best chocolate cupcakes! It’s what I prefer, and the crowds agree. So, this recipe has been updated with the new (and even easier to make!) recipe. 

Oh, chocolate. It’s made me weak in the knees since I was a kid sneaking it into the cart when my mom wasn’t looking. Some people prefer fruity desserts but I tend to lean toward the decadence of something chocolatey. If you’re in the same boat, then this recipe is for you: melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cupcakes with a chocolate buttercream that has been described by a friend as “the kind you need to put in the sink and fill the bowl with water because you can’t stop eating it.”

This recipe is everything you want in a chocolate cupcake – rich and decadent, moist and fudgy, and the perfect chocolatey flavor throughout. It’s a classic flavor pairing that will satisfy any chocolate lover in your life, and I’m a firm believer that every cake maker should have a good chocolate cake and chocolate buttercream recipe up their sleeve. Whether you pair the recipes together or use them separately to pair with other flavors, these are some great staples to add to your recipe box. 

You’ll notice that the cupcake recipe calls for hot coffee or hot water. You can absolutely use either, but the hot coffee will really help amplify the chocolate flavor in these cupcakes. It won’t add any coffee flavor in the process. I like to use fresh pour-over coffee, but you can use instant coffee or whatever you’re used to drinking at home.

I’ve kept the decoration simple with these babies by piping a swirl of chocolate buttercream with my Wilton 1M tip, but feel free to get creative with the design. They’re made even more beautiful with these pretty sprinkles from Fancy Sprinkles in the Birthday Balloons mix. I just love the pops of color and texture they add! 

Here’s a quick video of how to make these chocolate cupcakes before you read through the recipe below:

PS: If you’re into cake decorating videos like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube Channel! Click the Subscribe button while you’re there so you never miss a new video. 

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Chocolate Cupcakes With Chocolate Buttercream

Rich and moist chocolate cupcakes topped with decadent chocolate buttercream.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 15 cupcakes

Ingredients

One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

• 1 Cup (132g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 Cup (150g) white granulated sugar
• 1/3 Cup (30g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 Cup (60ml) vegetable oil
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) buttermilk, room temperature*
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) hot coffee or hot water**

Chocolate Buttercream

• 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 Cups (360g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 Cup (45g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 Tbsp (45ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Make The Chocolate Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF/177ºC and line a cupcake pan with 12-15 liners.
• Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix on low with either a hand mixer, the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, or by hand until combined. Add the hot coffee (or hot water) in a slow stream. Continue mixing on low until fully combined and smooth, 1-2 minutes. The batter will be very thin.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake liners (no more than ⅔ full) and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Make The Chocolate Buttercream

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter on high speed until creamy and light in color, about five minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and turn the mixer to low, then add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Continue mixing on low speed until fully combined and uniform, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.

Assembly

• Let the cupcakes cool thoroughly before frosting with chocolate buttercream. In the images above, I've used Wilton tip 1M to pipe a swirl with the buttercream before adding these sprinkles. 

Notes

*DIY Buttermilk recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe. 

**hot coffee will not add any coffee flavor to the cupcakes, but it does help amplify the chocolate flavor better than hot water. 

Make Ahead Tips: 

1. The chocolate cupcakes can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, they can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months. 
2. The chocolate buttercream recipe can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-mix with your stand mixer on low speed to bring it back to frosting consistency. 

Did you make these chocolate cupcakes? I want to know how it went! Leave a comment below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create!

The post One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

I know I’m not alone in saying that a mug of hot cocoa with marshmallows on top is downright nostalgic. It’s a distinct flavor combo that is enjoyable at any age, reminiscent of winter and the Holiday season. Remember how I talked about having a list of Holiday cake flavors I wanted to create? Well, this one has been on the top of the list for a few years now. So as soon as I had the energy toward the end of my maternity leave, I decided to do some recipe testing and check it off the list. Surprisingly, this one didn’t take much testing at all! It is packed with hot cocoa flavor, marshmallowey goodness, and all the nostalgia. Behold: 

Let’s talk about the flavors going on here. I really wanted every bite to taste like hot cocoa (without being literally hot), so I whipped up some Swiss Miss hot cocoa with whole milk, cooled it to room temperature, and used it to infuse my favorite Chocolate Cake recipe. The result is extra chocolatey and so moist that it’s almost fudgey – just the way I like a chocolate cake. It’s got that extra little kick of hot cocoa from the infusion, and paired with the rest of the recipe elements, it tastes just the way I imagined. I honestly could not stop eating this one, and that’s always a really good sign because I’ve had a lot of cake in my day and can usually refrain.

The cake layers are delicious on their own, but the Hot Cocoa Buttercream is what gives this cake that extra flavor boost and truly makes the recipe. It tastes just like hot cocoa, partly because I added a little cocoa powder + infused it with more of that hot cocoa made with whole milk that I used in the cake. And to really take this recipe beyond, I decided to fill the cake with a layer of Hot Cocoa Buttercream and a layer of Marshmallow Fluff. I mean, how could I not? 

To turn this delicious cake into a masterpiece, I frosted the outside with more Hot Cocoa Buttercream and left the top edge “unfinished,” aka I didn’t swipe the buttercream on top of the cake to make sharp edges. I like that an unfinished edge creates the look of movement, and it reminded me of a sloshy cup of hot cocoa. Finally, I cut up some mini marshmallows and added them to the side of the cake in an ombrè layout, then piled some larger marshmallows on top and dusted the whole thing with cocoa powder. Voila! 

The mini marshmallows are so sticky inside that you can just press them onto the buttercream once you cut them. I will admit, it does take a bit of time to cut them all up, but I just love the way this design looks! It’s such a tasty recipe though, you can decorate it any way you want and rest assured that it will taste amazing. Enjoy!

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Hot Cocoa Cake Recipe

Layers of hot cocoa infused cake, hot cocoa flavored buttercream, and marshmallow fluff – inspired by a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 15 slices

Ingredients

Hot Cocoa

• 1 1/4 Cups whole milk
• 3 1/2 Tbsp hot cocoa mix

Hot Cocoa Cake

• 2 Cups (265g) all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Cups (300g) white granulated sugar
• 2/3 Cup (60g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch Process)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 2 whole eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 Cup (240ml) hot cocoa made with whole milk, room temperature
• 1 Cup (240ml) hot water

Hot Cocoa Buttercream

• 1 1/2 Cups (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 1/2 Cups (540g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 Cup (45g) cocoa powder
• 1/4 Cup (60g) hot cocoa made with whole milk, room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

Optional Fillings and Toppings

• Marshmallow Fluff for filling
• Mini and Large marshmallows for decoration

Instructions

Make the Hot Cocoa

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the whole milk until it begins to simmer. Whisk in the hot cocoa mix and set aside. Wait until it's entirely room temperature before continuing on with this recipe.

Make the Hot Cocoa Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with a wax paper or parchment cake circle. 
• Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and hot cocoa and mix on low until just combined. Ensure that the hot water has been heated to a simmer, then with the mixer still on low, add the hot water in a slow stream. Turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin. 
• Pour into prepared cake pans no more than 2/3 full and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. 

Make the Hot Cocoa Buttercream

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip butter on medium speed until creamy and light in color, about four minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and turn the mixer to low, then add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, hot cocoa, salt, and vanilla extract. Increase the speed to medium and beat for two full minutes.

Assembly

• Once the cake layers are completely cool, torte them to the desired height. Pipe a ring of hot cocoa buttercream around the edge of the first cake layer, then fill the middle halfway with marshmallow fluff before filling the rest of the space with hot cocoa buttercream (here's a tutorial on this filling method). Add the next layer of cake on top and repeat the filling process before adding the final cake layer on top, upside down so that the smooth bottom of the cake is facing up. Crumb coat with the hot cocoa buttercream and refrigerate for 20 minutes, then frost a final layer of hot cocoa buttercream, leaving the top edge unfinished.
• Use a knife to slice mini marshmallows and place them onto the buttercream finish in an ombrè layout. The inside of the marshmallow should be sticky enough to press onto the side of the cake and adhere, but if you need to, use a little water to make it stickier. Finish the design by piling marshmallows of various sizes on top and dusting with cocoa powder.

Notes

Make Ahead Tips:

1. The Hot Cocoa Cake layers can be made ahead and stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to two days. Alternatively, you can store the wrapped cake layers in the freezer for up to 2 months before thawing and frosting.
2. The Hot Cocoa Buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency. 

To Make As Cupcakes: fill cupcake tins no more than 2/3 of the way full and bake at 350ºF for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Yields about 35-40 cupcakes.

Did you make this recipe? I want to know what you think! Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram. I love to see what you’re caking!

The post Hot Cocoa Cake Recipe with Marshmallows appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

I can’t tell you how many requests I’ve gotten for a cupcake version of my S’mores Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Buttercream. It’s one of my all-time favorite recipes (s’mores fan to the core, here!) and there are so many amazing flavors going on in it: graham cracker cake, decadent chocolate, toasted marshmallow buttercream. I had to get a little creative to capture the magic of these flavors in cupcake form, and I am so happy with how they turned out. Behold!

These S’mores Cupcakes have a lot going on, but every step is totally worth the amazing flavor. It all starts with a graham cracker flavored cupcake baked on top of a graham cracker crust (my husband’s idea, and it is so genius). You basically mix up a quick graham cracker crust and press a spoonful of it into the bottom of the cupcake tin before adding the cupcake batter on top. Although the cupcake batter is already flavored with graham cracker crumbs, the crust adds the perfect amount of texture and really takes the graham cracker flavor to the next level! 

After those tasty graham cracker cupcakes cooled, I filled them with marshmallow fluff and frosted them with my favorite chocolate buttercream. And since one thing I really loved about the S’mores Cake I made last year was the piped and toasted meringue, I decided to use that same technique to top these cupcakes! The marshmallow meringue recipe below is the perfect piping consistency, and toasting it is my favorite part of the whole recipe. 

If you don’t feel like going the extra mile to make marshmallow meringue, you can totally top these with a regular ol’ marshmallow and toast it with a culinary torch. The marshmallow meringue is so pretty and tasty, but it is the only thing in this recipe that can’t be made ahead of time. That being said, if you do decide to spend that extra 10 minutes making the meringue (worth it!), make sure you whip it up right before you’re gonna pipe it on. After you toast it, the meringue holds its shape for two days, whether it’s at room temp or refrigerated. 

Whether you’re a hardcore s’mores fan or you’re making these for someone else who is, they are sure to please. Between the gooey marshmallow, the graham cracker cupcake, and the perfect hit of chocolate, these beauties are a little bit of s’mores heaven. Enjoy!

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Toasted S’mores Cupcakes

Graham Cracker Cupcakes filled with Marshmallow Fluff, topped with Chocolate Buttercream and Toasted Marshmallow Meringue – the perfect S'mores Cupcakes!

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes

Servings 14 cupcakes

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

• 1/2 Cup (52g) graham crackers, ground into crumbs
• 2 Tbsp white granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Graham Cracker Cupcakes

• 1/2 Cup (52g) graham crackers, ground into crumbs
• 1 1/4 Cups (133g) cake flour, sifted before measuring
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 Cup (71g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 Cup (137g) granulated white sugar
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) whole milk, room temperature

Marshmallow Filling

• 1/3 Cup Marshmallow Fluff

Chocolate Buttercream

• 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Cups (180g) powdered sugar
• 1/4 Cup (21g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Marshmallow Meringue Topping

• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 3/4 Cup (150g) granulated white sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Make The Graham Cracker Crust

• In a small bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar. Add the melted butter and mix until well incorporated.

Make The Graham Cracker Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F and line a muffin pan or cupcake pan with liners. Press a spoonful of the Graham Cracker Crust into the bottom of each cupcake liner.
• In a medium sized bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs, sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter for one minute on high. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and add the sugar. Cream together on high for two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle once in between. Turn the mixer to low and add the egg and egg yolk until combined.
• Add vanilla and mix on medium for one minute. Turn the mixer to low and add all of the dry ingredients at once until just combined, then add the milk all at once. Scrape down the bowl and paddle once more and mix on low for about 30 seconds. Do not overmix.  
• Pour batter on top of the graham cracker crust bottomed liners to fill no more than ⅔ full. Bake for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before filling or frosting.

Make The Chocolate Buttercream

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip butter on medium speed until creamy and light in color, about four minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and turn the mixer to low, then add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, salt, and vanilla extract. Increase the speed to medium and beat for one full minute.

Make The Marshmallow Meringue

• Whisk the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar together in a small heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with an inch or two of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water (or else it will cook your eggs!). Whisk the mixture constantly until the sugar has dissolved, about 4 minutes.
• Once the sugar has dissolved, pour the mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the vanilla and whisk the mixture on high for 6 full minutes, until stiff peaks form. You should be able to dip the whisk into the meringue and it forms a peak that maintains its shape when turned right side up and upside down.

Assembly

• Once the Graham Cracker Cupcakes are cooled, cut out the centers using a knife or inverted large piping tip. Fill the empty centers with Marshmallow Fluff. Fit a piping bag with Wilton tip 1M and fill it with Chocolate Buttercream, then pipe a swirl of chocolate buttercream on top of each cupcake. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs.
• To get the look pictured, fit one piping bag with Wilton Tip 1M and another with Wilton Tip 4B. Fill both piping bags with Marshmallow Meringue. Pipe a small swirl with Wilton Tip 1M on top of each cupcake, then pipe two stars next to each small meringue swirl with Wilton Tip 4B. Toast the meringue accents (carefully!) with a culinary torch.

Notes

Make Ahead Tips:

The Graham Cracker Cupcakes can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day. Alternatively, you can place them in the freezer in an airtight container for up to one month before thawing and using. 

The Chocolate Buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and rewhip with your stand mixer to bring back to frosting consistency. 

The Marshmallow Meringue cannot be made ahead and must be made right before you’re ready to pipe and torch it. 

Did you make these cupcakes? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments below and be sure to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram. I love to see what you’re caking!

The post Toasted S’mores Cupcakes appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

One of my friends described this chocolate buttercream perfectly: it’s the kind you have to put in the sink and cover with water so you don’t eat the whole bowl. I think she’s totally right, because time and time again I find myself eating this stuff by the spoonful. I’m a huge fan of all things chocolate, so it doesn’t surprise my that this is my favorite buttercream of all. Yes, those are strong words, but this is how I feel.

The funny thing is there isn’t anything fancy about the process of making this buttercream or the ingredients involved, but the end result is amazingly tasty! It’s a simple American buttercream with cocoa powder added. I always opt for Hershey’s natural unsweetened cocoa powder for this one, but any unsweetened cocoa powder will do just fine. One thing to note about this recipe is that as soon as you finish whipping it up, the color looks like a light brown at first, but then ends up looking darker as the cocoa powder starts to saturate it. The end result is something more like the medium brown below.

You can pair this chocolate buttercream with just about any cake flavor that goes well with chocolate. My all-time favorite cake combination is pairing this chocolate buttercream with this chocolate cake recipe. I am pretty biased because I’m a huge fan of all things chocolate, but trust me on this one – it’s perfect! But beware, whatever cake you top it with, you’re gonna want to eat the extra by the spoonful. Consider yourself warned!

Here’s a quick recipe video to show you the process before you read all about it below:

PS: If you’re into cake decorating videos like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube Channel! Click the Subscribe button while you’re there so you never miss a new video.

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Chocolate Buttercream Recipe

A decadent chocolate buttercream that's so easy to whip up, but yields amazingly tasty results. Pair it with chocolate cake for the ultimate chocolate-lover's dessert. 

Prep Time 10 minutes

Servings 3 Cups

Ingredients

• 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 Cups (360g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 Cup (45g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter on medium-high speed until creamy and light in color, 4-5 minutes.
• Scrape down the bowl and paddle, then add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, salt, and vanilla extract. Cover the mixer with a clean kitchen towel (to prevent ingredients flying out of the bowl), then turn the mixer to low and mix until all ingredients start to come together.
• Remove the kitchen towel, scrape down the bowl and paddle, then continue mixing on low speed until uniform and smooth, 2-3 minutes.

Notes

Make Ahead Tips: this buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and rewhip with your stand mixer to bring back to frosting consistency. 

Yield: This buttercream makes enough to:

• Frost 12-15 cupcakes with a piping bag
• Fill and crumb coat a three-layer 6-inch cake or two-layer 8-inch cake. To have enough for frosting and decorating as well, double the recipe. 

The post Favorite Chocolate Buttercream Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.