These pretty marshmallow flower cupcakes are a perfect recipe for spoiling those you love! Topped with raspberry jam buttercream. How about making for afternoon tea?
Little Miss Spice loves cupcakes and so most of the cupcakes I make have animal designs on or are aimed at children in some way. I don't get much chance to make more sophisticated ones. It's not that I don't want to, it's just that my little helper has other plans.
From pig cupcakes to marshmallow flowers
In fact, when I started out making these marshmallow flower cupcakes they were all going to be pigs! I had some mini marshmallows to use, but then I started to think about what else I could do with them.
A quick flick through Pinterest showed lots and lots of marshmallow flower designs. I began to think maybe I could get away with decorating some of the cupcakes with flowers. If I'd been a little more organised, maybe I could have added a hidden pink raspberry heart inside the cupcakes to make them a perfect Valentines treat.
How do you make the marshmallow flowers?
To make the marshmallow flowers I cut the marshmallows in half horizontally and then pressed the cut side into coloured sugar, which is slightly sparkly. You can buy coloured sugar but it's very easy to make your own.
How do you make coloured sugar?
It's really easy to make coloured sugar.
- Just get a tiny bit of gel food colouring and rub it into the sugar with yourfingertips.
- Leave it to dry.
- When it's dry the sugar will be stuck together in clumps, just crumble it up.
It keeps for quite a while in an airtight container so if you make more than you need, you can just save it for another day.
Finding the perfect cupcake recipe
I have made quite a lot of cupcakes recently and so have been experimenting with slightly different recipes and oven temperatures. This cupcake recipe is my current favourite.
They bake perfectly. Plus, the cupcakes are very moist and have a lovely vanilla flavour.
The inspiration for the raspberry jam buttercream
Using jam to flavour the raspberry icing was an idea inspired by The More Than Occasional Baker. She used it on an incredible looking chocolate and raspberry layer cake. As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to have a go at some similar icing.
Can you adapt these marshmallow flower cupcakes?
I used vanilla extract to make a traditional flavoured cupcake. However, you could use almond extract instead or even some lemon zest to make them citrus flavoured.
You can also adapt the buttercream by using a different jam, marmalade or curd instead of the raspberry jam.
Why not make a different design instead of flowers? For example you can use green sugar and arrange the marshmallows differently to make Christmas trees.
How long do these cupcakes last?
These cupcakes are best eaten within three days. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
Can you freeze them?
Yes, you can freeze the cupcakes but it is best to freeze them without the buttercream and marshmallow flowers.
However, you can freeze the buttercream separately for up to three months too. Let it defrost at room temperature and rewhip it before using it.
If you've made the coloured sugar in advance then it's very easy to just snip the marshmallows in half and dip them in the sugar to make the flowers.
Recipe
Marshmallow Flower Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 125 g self-raising flour
- 125 g butter or margarine softened
- 125 g sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the icing
- 50 g butter
- 50 g icing sugar
- 50 g seedless raspberry Jam
For the Decorations
- 16 Mini Marshmallows
- 2 tablespoon Caster sugar
- A few drops Food colour
Instructions
- Put all the cake ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat together with a wooden spoon. Beat well for a couple of minutes. Spoon the mixture into a cupcake tin lined with cupcake cases.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 160C for about 20 minutes. Leave the cupcakes to cool on wire racks.
- While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the coloured sugar. Put a couple of tablespoons of sugar in a bowl and a few drops of food colour. Mix together well with your fingers and then leave it to dry in a thin layer on a baking tray.
- Beat all the icing ingredients together and spread onto the top of the cupcakes.
- When the sugar and food colour has dried, roll it between your fingers to break up the lumps and get coloured sugar again. Put the sugar in a bowl.
- Cut the mini marshmallows in half diagonally and put them in the sugar. Press the cut sides into the sugar so it sticks and then place them on the cupcakes to make a flower shape.
Notes
Nutrition
More recipes you might like
Cupcakes are always fun to make and my kids love them. If you'd like more recipe ideas then do check out one of these:
Keep in Touch
Do let me know if you make these marshmallow flower cupcates. I love to get feedback from readers.
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Sisley White
These are so cute! I love marshamllows so I'm not sure how many would end up on the cakes.
Corina Blum
Haha! That's always a problem! I don't think any would end up on the cakes if I made these with my kids.
Swati
These cupcakes with looks so pretty perfect to welcome the spring.
Corina Blum
Thanks Swati! They are definietely great for spring!
Choclette
Ooh, these look so pretty Corina. Your marshmallow flowers are wonderfully simple and such a good idea. I used to make loads of cupcakes, but I seem to have gotten out of the habit these last few years. I've pinned this now so that I can remember it for next time I get around to baking some.
Corina Blum
I don't do as much baking as I used to either! Usually I make muffins as I'm not keen on lots of icing and muffins are great as a snack for the children too.
Nickki
These cupcakes look delicious - what a simple but stunning decoration!
Corina Blum
Thanks Nickki! That's one of the things I like about them - they look good but are so easy to make!
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
Such pretty cupcakes! The decoration has such an impressive effect! Thanks for linking up with #TreatPetite
Corina
Thank you Kat! I'm so pleased you like them.
Cynthia
These are so pretty. They make me think of Spring and I am sure they would be a great treat at Easter - or any time really. Great work with the marshmallows.
Corina
Thank you! They are perfect for spring and also Mother's Day which is coming up here soon.
Christie
I love how simple your cupcake decorations are. Makes me think I could actually do it and it would be a fantastic recipe to make with kids.
Corina
I'm so pleased you like them! They are a great recipe to make with kids and so easy too - My kids also loved eating them!
Jane
Oh they looks so dreamy!
Love the sparkly sugar tip too - thanks for that 😉
Jane x
Corina
Thanks Jane! I'm so pleased you like them x
Lucy @ Supergoldenbakes
These are so pretty. Coloured sugar is genius too.
Corina
It is, isn't it? And so easy to make too!
Sarah
These are so pretty and sound absolutely delicious! A perfect recipe for spring!
Corina
Aw thank you!
Elaine @ foodbod
The flowers are so cute 🙂 a great idea x
Corina
Thank you.
Jere Cassidy
Cute, cute, cute and what I like is easy. I just make colored sanding sugar and it's so easy.
Corina Blum
Exactly! I just love how easy the coloured sugar is to make and how pretty it looks on the marshmallows.