Hot Chocolate And Marshmallows Mini-Cakes

• Cupcakes
• Prepare cupcakes using store bought mix or homemade. (I used recipe below for homeade cupcakes)yields 12
• 1c. white sugar
• 1/2c. butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2c. flour
• 1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2c. milk (I substituted buttermilk to make the cakes more stable and less crumby for cutting later on)
• Preheat oven 350, spray non-stick spray into muffin tin. In bowl, cream sugar and butter until well blended (approx. 2 min.) beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder in seperate bowl. Add to cream mixture and mix well. Stir in milk until batter is smooth and pour into muffin tins 1/2 to 3/4 full per cup. Bake 20-25 min, cake is done when springy to touch and comes out clean when tested. Let cool and sit overnight in sealed container.
• Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting
• 1c. butter room temp (soft but not melted)
• 1 small container fluff or marshmallow creme
• 2c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add marshmallow creme, whip for 2 min. (I did everything by hand instead of mixer and came out perfect timing wise) Add powdered sugar and whip 2 min more. Add vanilla and stir until mixed thoroughly. Cover with wet paper towel and set aside while making hot cocoa frosting.
• Hot Cocoa Buttercream Frosting
• 1/2c. butter room temp (soft but not melted)
• 2 packets no sugar added hot cocoa (I used Swiss Miss brand)
• approx. 1 1/4c. powdered sugar
• 1 tbs. heavy cream
• Cream butter and cocoa mix until close to smooth (mixture will be grainy until cream stage) Mix in 1c. powdered sugar until well blended. Add cream and whip until smooth. Add remaining powdered sugar as needed to obtain frosting consistency similar to that of marshmallow buttercream.

1. To make mini-cakes:
2. Slice tops off cupcakes and put aside. With remaining "mini-cakes" cut in half horizontally in the middle placing halves aside together. Using hot cocoa frosting, spread a semi-thick (approx. 2 tbs.) layer in between mini-cake halves with the smaller section on top of the larger section. Wipe sides of cake as necessary to prevent middle frosting overflow.
3. Using a spatula (I used a mini-spatula which was perfect for the size of the cakes), spread marshmallow frosting around the sides of the cake, leaving top of cake open. After sides of mini-cakes are all frosted, place remaining marshmallow frosting in a pastry bag with decorative tip and pipe frosting onto top of mini-cakes circular, working outside to inside. Finish cakes with a dusting of hot cocoa mix and place in fridge overnight to set.
4. (With remaining muffin tops, I cut in half vertically and placed a dollop of marshmallow frosting and dollop of cocoa frosting for a mini mini tasting treat!)
5. These are delicious, but incredibly sweet. I would most likely use sugar-free hot cocoa mix the next time or potentially one packet to cut the sweetness a bit. But if you love sweet treats, these are definitely a huge hit!

using store bought mix, white sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, milk, in bowl, marshmallow buttercream frosting, butter, marshmallow creme, powdered sugar, vanilla, cream butter, cocoa, butter, packets no sugar, powdered sugar, heavy cream, cream butter

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/hot-chocolate-and-marshmallows-mini-cakes-51552851 (may not work)