Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

Indulge in these delicious chocolate marshmallow cookies, perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth. With a soft and gooey center and a chocolate frosting, these cookies are a treat for any occasion.

These cookies are thick and chewy and loaded with chocolate flavor. They are topped with a gooey roasted marshmallow and then frosted with a luscious chocolate cream cheese frosting. Totally indulgent and decadent!

Chocolate Marshmallow cookies always make me feel loved. I have had two lovely connections with these cookies and not only do I want you to read about my experience, but I totally want you to have the recipe too.

First memory…going shopping with my mom at the Vancouver mall in Vancouver, WA. They had a cookie shop and we weren’t really a family to eat out, actually, we weren’t really a mall family either, haha. Well, on one occasion my mom and her best friend had to run to the mall and I was with them when they allowed me and her friend’s child to buy a cookie from the little cookie shop on the top floor. I got a chocolate marshmallow cookie and I can still remember the feeling of my teeth sinking into that thick and chewy cookie. IT WAS AMAZING!!!

Fast forward a few short years and an interning teacher in my 4th grade class treated another little girl and I to a fun day out which included… a chocolate marshmallow cookie!!! I can still remember what a special teacher she was and mostly because she made me feel special and seen. It’s no wonder that all these years later I wanted to share the cookie with those I love! Don’t you love when food is linked to special moments?

Ingredients for Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

We are going to use cocoa powder and chocolate pudding mix to load these cookies with chocolate flavor. The rest of the ingredients are pretty standard cookie ingredients. Here is everything you’ll need:

• Unsalted Butter: make sure it is softened
• Granulated Sugar: adds sweetness
• Brown Sugar: adds rich flavor and sweetness
• Large Eggs: gives structure to the cookies
• Vanilla Extract: adds flavor
• Flour: just regular all-purpose flour is all you need
• Salt: enhances all the flavors
• Baking Soda: adds rise and fluffiness
• Cocoa Powder: adds bold chocolate flavor
• Instant Chocolate Pudding: grab a 5.1 oz box of either Devil’s Food or Chocolate Fudge flavor
• Marshmallows: you want large marshmallows

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post. See the next section for all the ingredients for the chocolate cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients for Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

There aren’t any surprises in the ingredients for this smooth chocolate cream cheese frosting. Here is the ingredients list:

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Vanilla Cake with Fresh Strawberry Frosting

Soft, moist vanilla sheet cake topped with strawberry buttercream – you’ll love the flavor combo and pretty pink color of this vanilla cake with fresh strawberry frosting.

I don’t know about you, but every spring I get so excited as fresh berries come into season. The change in season rejuvenates me, and the new fresh produce always makes me so excited to get into the kitchen and bake.

So when I was grocery shopping and saw ripe, juicy, bright red strawberries coming back in season – it was the perfect reason to make this classic vanilla cake recipe with fresh strawberry frosting.

The cake is a simple vanilla sheet cake that’s made in a 9×13 inch pan. It has a fluffy and moist texture with a soft cake crumb and delicious buttery, vanilla flavor. But it’s the strawberry buttercream made from fresh berries that really makes this cake special.

The buttercream frosting is fluffy and creamy with a delicious strawberry flavor that comes from fresh berries, so there’s nothing artificial or unnatural tasting. I love how the subtle strawberry flavor of the frosting compliments the vanilla cake, without overpowering.

What Ingredients Do I Need?

Here is what you will need to make this tasty vanilla cake and strawberry buttercream frosting:

For the Vanilla Cake

• Dry Ingredients: Cake Flour (sifted, not self rising), Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt
• Wet Ingredients: Unsalted Butter, Granulated Sugar, Eggs, Egg Whites, Vanilla Extract, Sour Cream and Milk

For the Strawberry Frosting

• Fresh Strawberries
• Unsalted Butter
• Powdered Sugar
• Vanilla Extract
• Salt
• Whipping Cream

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to Make Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Now making strawberry frosting using fresh berries takes a few extra steps, but it’s definitely worth the process. So I’m going into a little extra detail here on the process, and the full instructions and ingredients are listed in the recipe.

1. First we process the fresh berries in the blender. Then the puree is pushed through a sieve to remove the seeds.
2. The strawberry puree is then boiled in a saucepan to remove the water/excess liquid. The mixture will boil as you gently stir, and after the mixture boils down it will be thick in consistency and about 1/4 to 1/3 of the original volume. It’s so important to really boil down the puree and remove the excess liquid. Otherwise your frosting will be watery.
3. Then the puree needs to cool fully. I recommend putting it in the freezer or refrigerator.
4. From there, making the strawberry buttercream is straight fo

Samoa Cupcakes

Girl scout cookie meets cupcake in these rich chocolatey, caramel, and toasted coconut Samoa Cupcakes!

I’m so thrilled that stores have started making knock off Girl Scout cookies so that I don’t have to wait until March to devour all my favorite Girl Scout cookie flavors. Keebler has a version of the Samoa cookie and Walmart even has it’s own Great Value version. So you can make these Samoa cupcakes all year round!

Samoa Cookie Inspiration

I love cupcakes and Samoa cookies so why not mash the two together?! Voila! It’s seriously a party in your mouth. I chose to use a yellow cake for the cupcake to mimic the shortbread in the cookie and then I dipped it in ganache similar to how the bottom of a Samoa is covered in chocolate.  

I was going to top the cupcake with just a caramel/coconut mix but what kind of cupcake would that be without a buttery frosting?! The caramel buttercream is divine! I could eat it by the spoonful! And we top it with a sprinkle of toasted coconut!

Oh and for extra good measure I drizzled more caramel and ganache on top of the cupcakes creating a delicious mess.  These Samoa Cupcakes are going to blow your minds!  Enjoy!

Ingredients for Samoa Cupcakes

There are a few steps that go into making this cupcake recipe, but don’t worry, every ingredients and step is worth it! Here are the ingredients you will need:

Cupcakes:

• Dry Ingredients: All-Purpose Flour, Cornstarch, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt
• Wet Ingredients: Butter, Sugar, Eggs, Vanilla and Sour Cream

Ganache:

• Milk Chocolate Chips
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• Heavy Whipping Cream

Caramel Frosting:

• Butter
• Powdered Sugar
• Caramel Sauce
• Vanilla

Topping:

• Samoa Girl Scout Cookies
• Sweetened Coconut Flakes
• Caramel Sauce

The measurements for each ingredients can be found in the recipe at the end of this post. Keep scrolling down for all the details!

How to Make Samoa Cupcakes

Now that you know all the ingredients you need, here is the step-by-step guide to making them:

Cupcakes:

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Combine: Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix to combine.
3. Beat: Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat until light and creamy.
4. Mix: Add the eggs one at a time mixing thoroughly between each egg. Then mix in the vanilla and sour cream.
5. Combine: Add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
6. Bake: Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners

Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

These chocolate cupcakes with strawberry frosting start with moist, fudgy chocolate cake. Then they’re topped with creamy strawberry buttercream made from real strawberries.

Chocolate and strawberries – could there be a better combo? There’s just something about fudgy, creamy chocolate and fresh, sweet, juicy berries that go so perfectly together. And when Valentine’s day rolls around, these chocolate cupcakes with strawberry frosting are the perfect thing.

I always get really excited for Valentine’s Day, and I love the idea of taking a day to appreciate the people we love – and after cold, dreary January, I think everyone can use something to brighten their day.

I don’t typically buy gifts or do anything too fancy for Valentine’s Day – but I love to make a special treat to celebrate. And these chocolate cupcakes with strawberry frosting are great for February 14th, or whenever you’re looking for a chocolate cupcake recipe that’s just a little extra special.

How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes

The chocolate cupcakes are moist, fudgy, and have a perfectly soft cupcake crumb. Oil keeps the cupcakes moist. Then we’re using buttermilk for a soft, delicate cupcake crumb. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand – you can make your own with vinegar and 1% or 2% milk. Then for a super fudgy rich chocolate flavor, I recommend using dutch process cocoa.

Start by whisking all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, cream together all the wet ingredients. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Spoon the batter into a cupcake pan lined with cupcake liners and bake. Let them cool completely before adding the frosting.

How to Make Strawberry Buttercream

For the strawberry frosting, we’re using real strawberries. You can use fresh or frozen berries – but if using frozen berries just make sure they aren’t packed in syrup or sugar.

First process the berries in your food processor or blender, and then put the juice through a metal sieve to remove the seeds. I usually do about 1/2 at a time and push the mixture through using the back of a spoon. It can be a little tedious – so if you don’t mind seeds in your frosting, you can skip this step.

Then boil the juice down until it’s thick like jam, and place it in the fridge or freezer to cool. After this is done – making the strawberry buttercream frosting is straight forward. Beat the butter until fluffy, then slowly beat in the powdered sugar followed by the cooled, boiled down strawberry puree.

PRO TIP: If you really want to amp up the strawberry flavor (and color), pulverize a half cup or so of freeze-dried strawberries, and mix those in.

What Piping Tip to Use on Cupcakes

You can either frost the cupcakes using a piping bag and tip (I used a 1M) or simply frost them with a knife.

You’ll

Nutella Stuffed Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes

If an 8 year old can make Nutella Stuffed Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes, you certainly can do it! Moist chocolate cupcakes are a must for Valentine’s Day!

Are you familiar with how cooking happens in our house? It’s not just a mom thing, and it’s certainly not just an adult thing, the whole family is involved. I’ll tell you all about how our family created the tradition of kids cooking, plus a few tips for making it work in your home, but first, let’s chat about these Nutella Stuffed Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes, very similar to our Milk Chocolate Cupcakes.

Nutella Stuffed Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes

I love the look of chocolate and fluffy, pink anything, yes, even pink pancakes. I’m not really a pink girl, I think I have one or two pink shirts in my closet and that’s probably it. Now don’t panic, I have nothing against pink, I’m just not drawn to it like I am blue or white for example. I should move to Santorini, Greece. That seems like a good choice.

Ahhh but chocolate and pink, there’s something about that just makes me want to take a big ol’ bite. And these Nutella Stuffed Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes are the perfect example.

A moist chocolate cupcake, stuffed with totally lickable Nutella and topped off with strawberry buttercream that is silky like those old school 90’s silk pajamas. Nothing short of a dream.

Why Coffee in Chocolate Cake

You all know us well enough by now to know that we don’t drink alcohol, coffee or tea and while yes, alcohol usually cooks out of things, we don’t keep it in the house so it just doesn’t happen.

When it comes to chocolate cake I’ve had to embrace that it does in fact make a difference. I bought this, Espresso Powder  used for baking and I merely add a little to any liquid in chocolate baking and it enhances the chocolate flavor without adding any coffee flavor. I honestly still skip it all the time, but really, it does make a difference and you’re probably eating it most of the time you buy a chocolate anything out and about.

Boiling Water in Chocolate Cake

Have you noticed how many chocolate recipes include boiling water? Especially a chocolate cake or cupcake. So what’s the deal with boiling water in chocolate cake?

It seems like it would be something with the hot water making the cake more moist or tender, but it’s actually about the cocoa. When making anything chocolate you should mix cocoa with hot water then let it sit for a few minutes. What you’re actually doing is blooming the chocolate, or in other words, the cocoa dissolves and the flavor particles are released leading to a more powerful chocolate flavor.

Chocolate brownies are a little different, you’ll want to bloom the chocolate in hot oil. Not like, fry you up some fried chicken oil, just warmed up so