Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Sweet Staypuft! I Tried That Marshmallow Icing "Hack"

So I needed cupcakes around 11PM the other night, for reasons. (Ask NOT why a woman needeth cupcakes at 11PM. Eth.) And not crappy store-bought cupcakes, either: I wanted ooey-gooey, fresh-from-the-oven ones.

No problem, except I don't like canned icing, and I was too lazy to make any from scratch.

Then I remembered one of those cooking "hacks" on Pinterest, which claims you can stick a marshmallow on your cupcakes for the last few minutes of baking, and BAM. Instant icing.

SOLD.

John was his usual trooper and made a late-night marshmallow run. He brought back the Smores ones, figuring the flattened squares would work better.

 Heeeere we gooooo.... 

I stuck the marshmallows on for the last 4 minutes in the oven.  Here's a blurry shot of them puffing up:

 SO FUN.

I worried they'd drip everywhere, but happily they didn't get much bigger. When the timer dinged, my cupcakes looked like golden-brown dinner rolls:


Unfortunately, everywhere those 'mallows are touching each other OR the pan stuck like stringy super-glue, so they didn't look quite so pretty by the time I got them onto a plate:

Boops.

(Did I just make a cupcake wreck? Yes, yes I did.)

I decided to let the other pan of cupcakes cool down completely before extraction, and that worked MUCH better. The excess topping stuck solidly to the pan, letting the cupcakes come out relatively clean, "icing" intact:


The trick is to get a fork underneath & lift them straight up, so the 'mallow topping doesn't pull to the side.

Now, here's where John proves - once again - that he is a stone-cold genius:

 TOASTED MARSHMALLOW ICING.

Aw yeah - the more burned, the better.

But here's the biggest surprise: the cupcakes were fine that night, but they were phenomenal the next morning. (Yes, I had cupcakes for breakfast. WHAT.) The marshmallow icing just didn't work while the cupcakes were still warm; the taste was underwhelming and the gooeyness was out of control, ending up in a big sticky mess when we tried to eat them.

Once the cake had cooled off, though, the marshmallow taste was stronger, and loads easier to eat. Just torch them right before you commence face-stuffing, so you still get that crispy shell with bubbly liquid marshmallow inside:


OH SWEET HEAVEN.

Initially I was ready to write this off, but now? Yes, please.

So, to sum up: marshmallows for icing is fantastic, IF you're willing to wait for them to cool completely before removing from the pans, and before eating them. Which, believe me, I know is asking a lot. :D

Oh, and lazy baker tip: Any box mix is fine, but for chocolate cupcakes, add half a pack of instant chocolate pudding & a bunch of chocolate chips to it. Super moist chocolatey goodness, guaranteed. (Sometimes I add mint chips, too. Mmmmm.)

Now, who's ready for cupcakes??

42 comments:

  1. This made me soooooo hungry right now! Showing chocolate cupcakes to this pregnant lady is most dangerous!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mmmmmm! Those look freaking delicious. Betcha they're great for covering up the taste of ogre armpits. Step 1: Choke down a bottle of disgusting kombucha. Step 2: Shove in a cupcake and feel better about life again! Step 3: Make John scrub all the baked-on marshmallow-glue from the cupcake pan. (Shoot, he probably did it anyway without you even having to ask! Officially jealous here!)

    KW

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I bet you can just soak the marshmallow stuff off the pan.

      Delete
    2. Muria's right: I was amazed, but it all soaked right off, no scrubbing! I guess since it's just sugar without any gluey flour in it?

      Delete
    3. I have made homemade marshmallows once or twice and was completely horrified by the mess the first time...there was marshmallow stuck all over my kitchen, and me. But it's all water soluble...there's no oil or anything, so it just melts away in water. I was so happy cause after I piped out a million little marshmallows, my back was too sore for a monster clean up!

      Delete
  3. I'll keep that in mind next time I make cupcakes. Last time I used a chocolate cake mix, I was vastly disappointed, but then, I followed the directions. Well, except for the cherry pie filling that I plopped in the middle. The cherry part was great, but the cake was underwhelming (no, I can't remember what brand it was).

    So you can take a yellow cake mix, add chocolate pudding and chocolate chips, and get chocolate cake? Or is this a hack for chocolate cake mixes?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The chocolate pudding is definitely only for chocolate mixes, BUT, I use corresponding pudding in all my box mixes. So just use vanilla pudding for yellow mix, strawberry for strawberry, etc.

      Delete
    2. There's an incredible product called "sweet buttery emulsion. I use it in all my dessert baking to give it that "I'm not a pro but I bake like one" flavour. It kicks up the intensity of anything I'm making.

      Delete
  4. adding chocolate pudding and adding chips is genius. pure genius!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. While those look DELICIOUS, I remember you talking about looking for foods to help you with your thyroid/anxiety. Have you tried cutting out sugar? Psychology Today has an article about how sugar can affect mental health; they state that sugar can't cause anxiety, but it can create symptoms that mimic a panic attack. Not to be a downer or anything, but just a thought.

    Also: Try cook and serve pudding as a slightly-healthier sub for hot fudge. Cook it till it gets thick, and pour it right over vanilla ice cream. SO GOOD.

    Source for the article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/where-science-meets-the-steps/201309/4-ways-sugar-could-be-harming-your-mental-health

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I tried cutting sugar when I first started having panic attacks, since I was desperate enough to stick with it. (Fun fact: this was when I took all my cake decorating classes, so I could never eat ANYTHING I made. Talk about torture!) It didn't help, so after 6 weeks I happily went back to my sweet ways.

      That said, I know sugar is bad, and I've been hypoglycemic since my teens, so I know how low blood sugar can mimic some anxiety symptoms. On the plus side, since I've dealt with it so long I can usually tell the difference, and at least low blood sugar is an easy fix. I've also learned to eat desserts after a meal or with protein, which helps prevent a crash.

      Delete
  6. I tried that marshmallow hack once and it was just horrible, they collapsed onto themsselves and the cake parts was kinda slimy.
    I do love the idea of torching them thought. I think I might skip the part of putting them in the oven and just straight torching them

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd be curious to see if that worked! The torch is too high heat to cause them to puff up, so the marshmallow would probably stay the same size - but for the square Smores ones, that'd be just fine!

      Delete
  7. OK, so totally OT, but YAY for how often you've posted this week! Epbot is my *favorite* blog (yep, even passed CW), so I love reading your posts! :) Thanks!

    (How's Lily? Have you had the radiation follow up visit yet?)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, you noticed! Yep, trying to step it up a little with Epbot - this post was actually just a bonus, since I find the more I post, the more I *want* to post. Up to a point, anyway.

      Just got Lily's results back this week, and she's good! A little hyPO-thyroid now, which is to be expected, and she's gained a whole pound - but STILL hasn't healed all the way on that spot! Arg! I want that to be gone before I update, so I can officially say she's All Good.

      Delete
  8. Marshmallow fluff also comes in a jar . . . I think it's spreadable.

    I use powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and a little milk to make a great frosting.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I always add a box of pudding mix, an extra egg, and a shot of pure vanilla extract. Makes a box mix cake taste so much better. When we ate our wedding cake top tier on our first anniversary, it tasted like it was fresh-baked. (I got those tips from the Cake Mix Doctor. I love her books!) Fresh buttercream frosting is the easiest thing in the world, too. Butter, powdered sugar, some sour cream to cut the sweetness, and pure vanilla extract. Easy-peasy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hee, I learned mine from the Cake Mix Doctor, too! Love those books.

      Delete
  10. I tried the marshmallows and failed, but I used minis which I think was the problem because they don't really fluff up. the next day they were solid like a meringue cookie, so didn't work

    ReplyDelete
  11. If you substitute coconut oil for vegetable oil in the cake mix it makes the cupcakes super moist and delicious too!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Delicious looking idea that I'll have to try. But I'm curious about the instant pudding mix that you put in the cupcakes. Have you found a brand without any dairy products? I'm also lactose intolerant and I either have to make pudding from scratch or use the cook & serve version with almond milk.

    Also wondering how it's going with the sleep apnea machine. I was just diagnosed myself (40 events per hour - how was I functioning?) after 18 years of thinking it was chronic fatigue syndrome. I'm struggling with finding the right size mask and one that won't make my skin break out. I'm hoping you're having some success with it and I sure sympathize with anyone who can't tolerate it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. Hmm, 'fraid I can't help on the non-dairy pudding front; I don't eat it unless it's in cake mix. :D

      I also wish I had good news on the APAP front, but I'm still really struggling. After 6 weeks my provider FINALLY got me the humidifier to go with it, which is supposed to help with dryness, but now I feel like I'm breathing hot swamp air, which is a new kind of discomfort. I have about 3 more weeks to get my numbers up to at least 4 hours a night, or the insurance company will take it away - and at this point, that may be a mercy. :/ I hope your process goes much better!

      Delete
    3. Jen, as a fellow Florida girl, I recommend filling the tank with cool water right before you go to sleep (add an ice cube if it floats your boat) and DON'T TURN ON THE HEAT. Just leave the air running across the cool water. Made it amazingly easy for me to use. Also, a fan in the face helps, as it makes the air rushing onto the part of your face covered by the mask and the part not covered by the mask feel the same, so it helps with claustrophobia. Good luck!

      Delete
    4. I agree, Rebecca! While I've never tried the ice cube, I fill my tank and don't turn the humidifier on. Just having the water in the tank as the air passes over it is enough to keep me from drying out. When I turn the humidifier/heat on, it's just too much, even on level 1.

      Delete
  13. I hope you see this, since you posted anon--as I recommended to Jen, try the CPAP Pro mask Cpap Pro
    Nothing touching your face, although you do end up looking like Davey Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean. Anyway, I LOVE mine, much more than any other mask I've used.
    (deleted and reposted to fix link)

    ReplyDelete
  14. You can also sub in applesauce 1 to 1 for the oil (I use those little lunch size cups--1 little cup for 1/4-1/3 cup oil) and egg substitute, for a lower fat, lower cholesterol version with no difference in taste or texture. And if you bake for drinkers, you can sub alcohol for the water. Guinness in a chocolate mix makes for moist, airy cupcakes!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I've made marshmallow fondant for a cake or two, and it's totally delicious. So this doesn't surprise me in the least.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I've made marshmallow fondant for a cake or two, and it's totally delicious. So this doesn't surprise me in the least.

    ReplyDelete
  17. It looks like you could let the cupcakes cook completely, immediately dump the hot cakes onto a sheet pan, top with the marshmallow and stick them under the broiler until the marshmallow is puffed.
    Or better yet, stick them back into the hot TURNED OFF oven, then after everyone is puffed, turn on the broiler for a few moments or hit them with the mini butane torch.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I need this in my life!!!! This is in no way a ploy to convince my brother to let me use a butane torch for the mallows >.>
    <.< *evil grin*

    ReplyDelete
  19. Me! Me! I'm ready for some!
    What a blessing to be married to a genius, AND get chocolate cup cakes, too. I'm SO glad you did not put them together to form, you know, a dreaded CCC (ptooie!)
    Maureen S

    ReplyDelete
  20. I know you live in Florida. BUT. The secret to making great hot chocolate (aside from making it from scratch, which I also have a good recipe for) is the marshmallows. Plop them in the mug and then torch them just like John did.

    And now I might need hot chocolate. In the middle of July.

    ReplyDelete
  21. ME! My "Breakfast of Champions" is the day after Thanksgiving. Hot chocolate with whipped cream (canned, please) and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. But this muffin hack could topple mine. You, genius, you!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Ok, if Cakewrecks stands behind this hack this marshmallowaholic will gladly give it a go!

    ReplyDelete
  23. I have to make 250 blueberry cupcakes this weekend... I wonder if marshmallow "frosting" would be good with that. Hmm... off to make a test batch. :)
    Otherwise I think i'll just stick to my cheesecake frosting. Oh, that's right, blueberry cupcakes with cheesecake frosting.
    Okay, I'll send you a sample. :)

    --Piper P from Washington State.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I think I'll try this! But I'm going to add a piece of graham cracker to each one under the marshmallow! Cupcake s'mores?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just sprinkle crumbled graham cracker on top!

      Delete
  25. Oh, try adding some cream cheese too. Very yum.

    ReplyDelete
  26. your post inspired me to run out and get the fixins for some of these for my gang. I used devils food cake mix, cold coffee instead of water, pudding mix, chocolate chips, and a splash of vanilla. The resulting batter was too much for a 12 cupcake pan, but only a wee bit, so I overfilled the cups and ended up with almost ridiculously cartoony decadent cupcakes. I threw flat marshmallows on top and broiled them a few minutes when they'd finished baking, and then ushered them off to an undisclosed underground bunker so the kids and my fiance wouldn't pick at them until morning. Thank you for mentioning how great they are after sitting - I don't know that I would have thought to serve them cold, and we would have been missing so much! You rock, your community is one of my favorite online people watching spots!

    ReplyDelete
  27. This just makes me so happy. I love this blog. I've been here since day one. Thing is I have to stay away from flour and sugar for a bit. But I really enjoyed your delicious experiment.
    Looking forward to more.
    Cheers,
    Tiny P Elephant

    ReplyDelete

Please be respectful when commenting; dissenting opinions are great, but personal attacks or hateful remarks will be removed. Also, including a link? Then here's your html cheat sheet: <a href="LINK ADDRESS">YOUR TEXT</a>