Gluten Free Hot Cocoa Chocolate Cupcakes
 
Prep time
Cook time
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Who needs a cup of hot chocolate when you can chow down on a batch of Gluten Free Hot Cocoa Cupcakes?! Light and fluffy chocolate cupcakes topped with smooth milk chocolate frosting and topped with toasted mini marshmallows. I'm gonna be looking for these on our next Polar Express!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients
  • For the cupcakes:
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1½ teaspoons instant coffee granules (optional)
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cups high quality all purpose gluten free flour (or my preferred blend of ½ cup white rice flour, ½ cup brown rice flour, ½ cup sorghum flour, ⅓ cup tapioca starch, and ¼ cup potato starch)
  • ½ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted (measure 1 cup, then melt)
  • For the frosting:
  • 1½ sticks butter, room temperature (12 tablespoons)
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • For assembly:
  • 1½ cups mini marshmallows
Directions
  1. To make the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and coffee granules until smooth.
  3. In a smaller mixing bowl, sift together cocoa powder, all purpose flour (or my preferred blend), xanthan gum (if your blend doesn't already contain it), salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda.
  4. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture. Add milk and whisk to combine. Mix until smooth. Add boiling water very slowly, whisking constantly, to avoid cooking eggs. Stir until smooth.
  5. Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl (preferably glass), and heat on high for 1 minute. Stir until completely melted. Spoon melted chocolate into batter mixture and mix until fully incorporated. Mixture will be quite runny. Allow mixture to sit for 10 minutes. Stir again.
  6. Divide batter evenly between pans (should make 24 cupcakes), filling ¾ way full.
  7. Bake cupcakes at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back at touch of a finger or toothpick inserted into center comes out clean with very few moist crumbs.
  8. Set pans on cooling rack for about 3 minutes, then carefully transfer cupcakes out of tins onto cooling rack. Allow cupcakes to completely cool before frosting.
  9. While cupcakes are cooling, make frosting. In a large mixing bowl, whip butter until smooth. Add salt, vanilla, 2 cups of powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. Beat until incorporated. Add milk and mix on low until smooth. Add remaining 2 cups powdered sugar and mix on low until incorporated, scraping down sides as needed. Increase speed to high and beat an additional 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Add more sugar for thicker consistency or more milk for thinner.
  10. Once cupcakes are cooled, top with frosting and mini marshmallows. Use a kitchen torch to brown tops of marshmallows, being careful to not melt frosting too much. Immediately place in fridge for about 10 mins to solidify any melted frosting.
  11. Serve cupcakes at room temperature. Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in fridge for up to 1 week, or in freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe by Breezy Bakes at https://www.breezybakes.com/gluten-free-hot-cocoa-cupcakes/