I’m only a teensy bit obsessed with all things marshmallow. Did you know that about me by now?! I find more and more excuses to stir a little marshmallow cream into this and that and the other thing. I can’t help myself. I ♥ it!
And when I tasted the fluffy hidden surprise inside these Chocolate Cupcakes with Pumpkin Spice Marshmallow Filling and Chocolate Buttercream (a mouthful, I know!)…I knew I had reached a new level of marshmallow bliss. Even our oldest daughter said, “That filling tastes like pumpkin pie!”
I know!!
And it tastes sooooooo wonderful surrounded by chocolate…a moist cake and a creamy buttercream swirl. It’s a lovely fall ensemble!
I created these cupcakes for more than my own selfish marshmallow needs, though. They are, first and foremost, a sweet treat to benefit sweet kids and their families who are dealing with cancer. I teamed up with OXO to Bake a Difference. For this blog post, OXO will be donating $100 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a non-profit organization founded in 2008 by two OXO employees who were inspired by their young son Liam’s battle with cancer.
Be sure to keep an eye out for this sticker. Purchase any of these stickered OXO Baking Tools and OXO will donate 25 cents in support of pediatric cancer as part of the company’s $100,000 pledge to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer in 2013.
100% of proceeds raised by Cookies for Kids’ Cancer fund pediatric cancer research.
I had been wanting to try OXO’s cupcake corer, so this cause provided the perfect opportunity to do so. Previously, I was using a paring knife to cut little cone shapes out of the cupcake centers when I wanted to add a filling. Such a pain! This little tool turned out to be a super time saver, and proved itself worthy of being added to my gadget drawer.
Cupcakes, anyone?!
Chocolate Cupcakes with Pumpkin Spice Marshmallow Filling & Chocolate Buttercream
Ingredients
- for the chocolate cupcakes:
- 3 c. all-purpose flour
- 6 T. cocoa
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 c. sugar
- 1 T. espresso powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- ⅔ c. vegetable oil
- 2 T. vinegar
- 2 c. cold water
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- for the pumpkin spice marshmallow filling:
- 2 c. marshmallow cream purchased or homemade
- 1 c. unsalted butter softened
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. allspice
- ⅛ tsp. ground cloves
- for the chocolate buttercream:
- 1-1/2 c. unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 c. powdered sugar sifted
- 2 T. heavy cream
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon plus more for dusting the finished cupcake
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate melted and cooled
Instructions
for the chocolate cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 2 regular size cupcake pans with 24 paper liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk all dry ingredients to combine. Make 3 large holes in the dry ingredients. In a separate smaller bowl, combine oil and vinegar. Pour this into the 3 holes. Pour the water over entire mixture. Mix with a fork. Add vanilla and stir. Divide evenly into the 24 cupcake wells. Bake for about 25 minutes, or just until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely.
for the pumpkin spice marshmallow filling:
- In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients until incorporated.
for the chocolate buttercream:
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter until creamy. At low speed, beat in the powdered sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until fluffy, scraping down the side of the bowl, about 2 minutes longer.
- At low speed, beat in the cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt, then gradually beat in the cooled chocolate. Scrape down the side of the bowl and the paddle, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light, 3 minutes longer. Using a wooden spoon, vigorously beat the buttercream for 30 seconds to deflate any air bubbles.
to assemble the cupcakes:
- With a cupcake corer or a paring knife, cut a hole in the top center of each cupcake. Aim to cut about 1” deep. If the hole is any deeper, the cupcake gets weak. Spoon the pumpkin spice marshmallow filling into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip (or use a sturdy plastic zip bag and snip off a corner.).
- Pipe the marshmallow filling into each cupcake hole. Then spoon the chocolate buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip (I used Ateco No. 808) and swirl it on top of each cupcake. Finish with a dusting of cinnamon.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
If you liked these chocolate cupcakes, you might like:
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Fluffy Marshmallow Buttercream
- Layered German Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache
- Chocolate “Wacky Cake” Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream
- Malted Milk Chocolate Cupcakes from Brown Eyed Baker
- Dark Chocolate Cupcakes from Savory Simple
- Double Chocolate Cupcakes from Simply Recipes
I was not compensated to write this post. OXO provided me with a set of cupcake baking tools and will be making a donation to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer for this post.
So….why did you add the butter to the marshmallow fluff? Just curious why it couldn’t just be used on it’s own as the filling. Would it “melt”?
Could I add melted chocolate to the marshmallow, and make it a chocolate marshmallow filling? And if I did that, would I still need butter?
Absolutely gorgeous. I love that they are filled and frosted. I’m always game for a filled cupcake.
These are positively gorgeous Brenda! I shared them on my FB page :) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151818291638070&set=a.174654903069.124188.163690253069&type=1
Thank you, Amanda. And thanks for sharing, too!
Gorgeous cupcakes! I would have a hard time not eating them all.
These look incredible! I love the sound of that pumpkin spice filling! I like anything with pumpkin flavor in it :)
Well, these were definitely made with LOVE! They look Wonderfully Delicious! :)
www.prettybitchescancooktoo.com
Oh wow, you’ve combined all my favorites here! I love that frosting and such a great cause!!! Love OXO for all their community work!
Brenda brenda brenda….you did it again! these look fabulous and for such a great cause! xoxox
Delicious I will make for the Halloween
I’m a big fan of marshmallows, but I’ve somehow never made marshmallow fluff myself. Thanks for the reminder that I need to try it asap!
Amazing! I’ll take 5 for dinner, please!
These cupcakes look amazing! And God bless you for helping to benefit a cure for cancer. Love you dear daughter!
Such pretty cupcakes, I love the flavors!