Rocky Road Cupcakes
Decadent chocolate cupcakes filled with homemade marshmallow cream, topped with fudgy chocolate buttercream, mini marshmallows, and chopped almonds. The cupcake version of rocky road ice cream!
Servings 14 Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 Cup (132g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 Cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 Cup (30g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder regular or Dutch-processed
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 Cup (60ml) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) buttermilk, room temperature*
- 1/2 Cup hot coffee or hot water
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 Cups (360g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 Cup (45g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder regular or Dutch-processed
- 3 Tbsp (45ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt, or to taste
Marshmallow Creme Filling
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 1/4 Cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Toppings
- 1/2 Cup mini marshmallows
- 1/4 Cup chopped almonds
Instructions
Make the Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line a cupcake pan with 12-15 liners.
- Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix on low with either a hand mixer, the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, or by hand until combined. Add the hot coffee (or hot water) in a slow stream. Continue mixing on low until fully combined and smooth, 1-2 minutes. The batter will be very thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake liners (no more than ⅔ full) and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Make the Chocolate Buttercream
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter on high speed until creamy and light in color, about five minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and turn the mixer to low, then add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Continue mixing on low speed until fully combined and uniform, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.
Make the Marshmallow Creme Filling
- For the best marshmallowy texture, make the marshmallow creme filling when you're ready to fill the cupcakes. Fill a medium saucepan with an inch or two of water and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk together the egg white, granulated sugar, and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl, then place it on top of the simmering saucepan. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Alternatively, you can use a double boiler for this part.
- Whisk the egg white mixture continuously until the sugar and cream of tartar are dissolved, about 3-4 minutes. It will thin out and be very frothy on top.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and add it to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (you can use a hand mixer for this part as well). Add the vanilla, then beat on high speed for about 3-5 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when it looks glossy with stiff peaks. To test it, dip your whisk attachment into the meringue and make sure the peak holds.
Assembly
- Once the chocolate cupcakes have cooled completely, use a sharp paring knife or large piping tip to carve out a cavity in the center of each cupcake. Slice off the top of the piece you carved out and save it to top the cavity after filling. Place the marshmallow creme filling into a piping bag and snip off an opening, then fill each cavity before topping with the reserved slice of cupcake.
- To create the look pictured, place the chocolate buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 1M and pipe a swirl onto each cupcake, then top with mini marshmallows and chopped almonds.
Notes
*DIY Buttermilk recipe: add 1 1/2 tsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1/2 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.
*Coffee will not add any coffee flavor to the cupcakes, but it does help amplify the chocolate flavor better than hot water.
Make Ahead Tips:
- The chocolate cupcakes can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, they can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months.
- The chocolate buttercream recipe can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-mix with your stand mixer on low speed to bring it back to frosting consistency.
- The marshmallow creme filling should be made right before filling the cupcakes for best texture. You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day but it may slightly deflate.
- The assembled cupcakes can be made ahead and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days.