Hot Chocolate Cupcakes Will Keep You Cozy This Winter!

There are two things that I love about winter: hot chocolate and Christmas! We have been stationed at (much) warmer places, such as our current home in Fort Stewart, Georgia… and we’ve also been at the other end of the spectrum in Western New York right in the snow belt- which resulted in snow up to my waist during the later months of the year. But despite snow or no snow, needing to wear thick winter jackets or just a thin cardigan, sporting heavy winter boots or flip-flops… hot chocolate is perfect for every December. It just feels right. My family particularly likes to make mugs of it and then we drive around sipping our hot cocoa while looking at everyone’s Christmas lights that they put up on display. It’s one of my favorite traditions!

So naturally, hot chocolate cupcakes sounded like a perfect dessert to create this holiday season. I’m not sure I would recommend eating one WHILE drinking hot chocolate though… my littlest monster went into a sugar spasm and started cart-wheeling around the living room and proceeded to bruise up her ankle while squishing the cat and, yeah. Don’t do both at the same time. I gifted these adorable cuppy cakes to neighbors though and they were a huge hit, one friend even requesting that I make more for her Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. Make sure you set aside some time to whip these babies up for yourself!!

Ingredients:

For the cake-

• Betty Crocker chocolate cake mix
• Ingredients listed on cake mix box: 1 1/4 cups water, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 3 eggs

For the frosting-

• 1 lb. box confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For decoration-

• Kraft Jet-Puffed mini marshmallows (about 6 marshmallows per cupcake)
• Nestle mini chocolate chips, 1 cup
• 24 mini candy canes

Step 1) Combine all cake mix ingredients as directed on box and bake as suggested for 24 cupcakes, approximately 19 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Step 2) Get your work station ready by separating bowls of mini marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, and mini candy canes!

Step 3) Prepare frosting by beating together softened butter, box of confectioners sugar, milk, and vanilla extract for 2 minutes on medium speed. Pipe onto cupcakes using a Wilton 1M tip or a spatula, piling frosting high in the middle and leaving some chocolate cupcake visible around the edges (to create appearance of hot chocolate with whipped cream on top!)

Step 4) Add a few mini marshmallows (I used 6 per cupcake) and sprinkle on some mini chocolate chips. Add a mini candy cane to the side to create a handle for your hot chocolate mug and voila! Most adorable cuppy cake ever!

Using a box mix makes this recipe super simple and quick for those busy December schedules. And having a bag of mini marshmallows laying around for the real mugs of hot cocoa is always a good idea, too…

Stay warm, friends!!