Birthdays are the best: Chocolate S’more Cupcake Recipe

Aloha Scrappers!! The second half of September is always crazy in our house. We have two birthdays form the middle and end of the month, then in the beginning of October it’s my sons birthday. Birthdays are the best though. The kids are such a fun age for birthdays. We try to make them special for them, cooking their favorite meal, letting them pick the type of cake and getting a few gifts. They also get to choose what movies are watched that day too. It is really about the little things with kids, right.

I thought to share something different with you all I would share a cupcake recipe of the cupcakes I made for my daughter, Leilani for her birthday. She picked the kind she wanted me to make and I whipped them up. (Sam wants an Ice Cream cake this year, I think I will buy that instead of making it, but who knows, maybe I will try to make an ice cream cake anyway)

I made Leilani Chocolate S’mores Cupcakes with chocolate frosting. She wanted all chocolate this year, and it was yummy too. I admit though if I was making regular S’more cupcakes I would have made a lightly cinnamon cupcake with the s’more fixing in the cupcake and a marshmallow meringue Frosting. Now doesn’t that sound delicious too?!

I make everything from scratch, but I promise it really isn’t that much harder than a box mix, and it tastes so much better. Since I started making from scratch cakes I will never go back to a box, they just don’t taste right to me anymore. And if you make this recipe I think you will agree with me too. Here is the recipe I made this weekend.

Chocloate S’more cupcakes with Chocolate old fashioned Frosting

Cupcake Batter Recipe
( This chocolate cake batter was adapted from the Betty Crocker’s version of chocolate cake batter, I added a few things to up it’s game)
Ingredients

2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1 2/3 cups Sugar
2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup cold coffee
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup butter, soften
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips (save the rest of the bag for the frosting)
1/2 crushed graham crackers (this is optional, also I sprinkled them to the top of the cupcake right before baking)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven 350 F. Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners. I was able to make 23 cupcakes with this recipe, you may have a couple more of less depending on the amount of batter you add to the pan. Set Aside.
2.  In a mixer, cream butter and sugar together until well mixed. Scraping sides to make sure the sugar and butter are mixed fully. Now Add the eggs into the creamed butter and mix well. You will want to scrape the sides down, to make sure the eggs are fully incorporated. I find I like to mix until the mixture looks a little lighter in color too.
3.  In another bowl mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda. I like to just use a whisk to get it light and break apart any chunks of these ingredients. You could use a sifter, but I am don’t mind using the whisk and really it usually does a good job getting the ingredients mixed well. Set Aside.
4.  In another smaller bowl or measuring cup, measure out and mix together, the milk, coffee, vanilla, and salt. I like to add the salt here, so it dissolves. I really hate when I bit into a cupcake and get a piece of salt that didn’t dissolve. Set Aside.
5.  This last step you really want to do in no more than three parts, so you don’t over mix the cake batter, or you will end up with tough cupcakes. This also makes not so tasty cupcakes. Add about a third of the flour and mix on low. (You don’t want exploding flour in your face or all over the kitchen) As the mixer is running add a third of the liquid. when the batter is incorporated do this step again. On the last batch of flour and liquid, scrape sown the sides, making sure everything is mixed well. Add the marshmallows and chocolate chips with the flour mixture. Still on slow, mix together and slowing add the last of the liquid.
6.  Everything should be well incorporate at this time. Get your cupcake tins. Now fill the cupcake tins about 3/4 full. I think this is a preference thing though. If you like big cupcakes add a little more batter to the cup. If you like smaller cupcakes, fill it half ways. Just remember if you fill it to high they rise out of the tin and possibly stick to the tin, I hate this which is why I fill 3/4 full. I also like to use an ice cream scoop to fill my pan up too. If you are adding graham crackers crumbs to your cupcakes, now is the time to do it. Just sprinkle the crumbs over each of the cupcakes.
7.  Bake cupcakes for about 20 minutes. When does let cool completely before frosting the cupcakes.
Old Fashioned Milk Chocolate Buttercream

(This is my version adapted from Warren Brown the author and owner of Cakelove)

Ingredients:
1 cup Milk
1/4 cup ap flour
2 sticks butter or shortening, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp powdered instant coffee (I like to Starbucks Instant Italian roast)
1/2 bag semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1.  Make a slurry with the flour and 4 tablespoons of milk. Whisk will and making sure there are no lumps. This is important, you don’t want chunks of flour in you frosting. After this is mixed well whisk together the rest of the milk in a medium sauce pot, and put the heat to medium.
2.  This process is slow going but well worth it, and you won’t be able to leave the stove util it is finished. I use a whisk then switch to a heat proof spatula to keep the mixture moving so it doesn’t burn. This is the point I add the salt too. Again, I hate biting into undissolved salt, yucky! But mix until this mixture is thick and pudding like. Take it off the stove right away after this.
3.  Add the chocolate chips and instant coffee into the hot milk pudding mixture. Stir until all the chocolate melts. Then stick you pot into the fridge while you do these next few steps. It will help cool down your mixture. If you used it hot, it would melt the butter and be no good.
4.  In a mixer add butter and sugar and mix until very light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and mix for 5 minutes. Make sure all the sides have been scraped down so everything is fully incorporated. (I like to use a mix of butter and shortening, I find I like this combo for my buttercream. The shortening helps it not melt as easily and the butter has a yummy taste. But you can definitely use all butter or all shortening. The all butter will be a lot softer and melt faster. I used this for this recipe, and the heat was not my friend. This is something to think about when making this recipe.)
5.  Once your chocolate pudding mixture is at least room temp, but better when colder, at least for this chocolate version, it is ready to add to the butter and sugar. add all the pudding mixture to the butter sugar and beat for another 5 or so minutes on high. This buttercream will smooth right out and fluff up. being nice and light and silky. I really enjoyed the mouth feel of this, almost like a mousse. The chocolate was on the milk chocolate side of taste. A good balance between sweet, milky and chocolate. Perfect for a kids cupcake.

Here is how the cupcakes look!

I hope you enjoyed this tasty treat!! Have a great week!!

Aloha,

Hannah