Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
These hot chocolate cupcakes take everything you love about a cozy winter mug and turn it into the dreamiest bite—rich chocolate cake, silky hot cocoa buttercream, chocolate ganache, and tiny marshmallows on top. They’re sweet, nostalgic, and guaranteed to warm you up from the inside out.
These hot chocolate cupcakes are like your favorite 80s winter snow day memory — cozy, sweet, and guaranteed to make you smile.
Basically like curling up under your favorite neon-trimmed blanket, popping in a VHS tape, and sipping cocoa while “Every Breath You Take” plays gently in the background.
Think moist chocolate cake, whipped hot cocoa frosting, chocolate ganache, and little marshmallows that bring major mug-of-cocoa nostalgia.
It’s like childhood hot cocoa…only totally grown-up and so delicious.
If you want more cozy chocolate desserts, check out my chocolate kiss cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies, and hot chocolate cookies.
How to Make Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
Step 1: Make the cupcake batter. Combine the chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and boiling water. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Pour in the chocolate mixture and mix to combine. Add the remaining wet ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth.
Step 2: Bake the cupcakes. Preheat the oven and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Pour the batter into the liners and bake the cupcakes.
Step 3: Make the frosting. Whip the butter. Add in the powdered sugar, hot chocolate mix, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix the frosting until it is smooth and creamy.
Step 4: Make the chocolate ganache. Heat the semisweet chocolate and heavy cream. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth.
Step 5: Assemble the cupcakes. Use a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. Drizzle the cupcakes with chocolate ganache and decorate with dehydrated marshmallows.
Courtney’s Expert Cupcake Baking Tips
- Use dark cocoa powder or dutch-process cocoa powder for the deepest and richest dark chocolate flavor. The acidity in the cocoa helps to activate the baking soda in the batter.
- The cupcake batter is thin. I recommend using a liquid measuring cup to easily and neatly fill the cupcake liners.
- Mix the buttercream for several minutes after adding in the hot chocolate powder. The hot cocoa has a grainy texture and needs a little extra mixing to make it silky smooth.
- Make sure the chocolate ganache is not too hot when drizzling over the buttercream so it doesn’t melt the frosting. You can frost the cupcakes and then chill them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to help prevent melting.
- Use a piping bag or squeeze bottle to easily drizzle the ganache over the cupcakes.
- Check out my posts on tips for making the best cupcakes, best buttercream frosting, and my favorite cupcake baking supplies for even more helpful tips and tricks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use your favorite hot chocolate mix for this recipe – just be sure to get one without any marshmallows or other add-ins.
Yes! In this recipe, the marshmallows are decorative so you can use mini marshmallows in place of dehydrated marshmallows.
I purchased dehydrated marshmallows from Amazon. You can often find them seasonally at your local grocery store near the marshmallows.
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Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- ¼ cup (45 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (25 g) dark cocoa powder
- ¾ cup (180 ml) boiling water
- ¾ cup (95 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) baking soda
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 (2) large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
Hot Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (30 g) hot chocolate mix
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
Chocolate Ganache
- ¼ cup (45 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) heavy cream
Additional Ingredients
- ½ cup (130 g) dehydrated marshmallows
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the semisweet chocolate chips, dark cocoa powder, and boiling water until the chocolate chips are melted. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pour in the slightly cooled chocolate mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until well combined. Add in the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract, and whisk until the cupcake batter is well combined and smooth (the batter will be thin).
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners, filling about ⅔ full. Use a large liquid measuring cup or a bowl with a spout to easily fill the liners.
- Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back slightly when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Hot Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the room temperature unsalted butter for 5 minutes until light, pale, and creamy.
- Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until the sugar is combined with the butter. Add the remaining half of the powdered sugar and continue to mix on low speed until fully combined.
- Add in the hot chocolate mix, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and whip the buttercream for about 3 to 5 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. If you notice there are still hot chocolate mix granulates, continue to mix until the granules are fully dissolved and the frosting is smooth. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix for several minutes to smooth out the buttercream.
Chocolate Ganache
- Combine the semisweet chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the hot chocolate buttercream frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto the cupcakes. Use a piping bag or squeeze bottles to drizzle the chocolate ganache onto the frosted cupcakes. Sprinkle the cupcakes with dehydrated marshmallows.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Nutrition
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
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