Smores Marshmallow Chocolate Cupcakes

Instructions

1. Chocolate cupcakes
   Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with patty cases. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and then add the sugars – give it a little stir. Pop the butter into the microwave for a short burst, 10 seconds or so at a time, until it is just melted. Give it a stir with a fork to eliminate any lumps.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, add the eggs, vanilla and butter and whisk together until smooth. Then add the wet mixture into the dry mixture, along with the buttermilk and gently fold until just combined.
3. Spoon the mixture into the prepared patty cases and pop into the oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until just cooked through. Set cakes out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
4. Marshmallow filling
   Fill a medium saucepan with a few inches of water and pop on a medium heat. In a small heatproof bowl, add your eggs whites, caster sugar and cream of tartar. Whisk together. Then pop the bowl over the saucepan, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
5. As the egg whites heat, whisk gently by hand the entire time. You’ll want to heat the egg whites to 65 C / 150 F which you can test by sticking a candy thermometer into the mixture or go by feel (the mixture should be hot to the touch) – should be around 5-6 minutes or so.
6. Then remove the bowl from the saucepan and place the mixture in the base of a stand mixer (or simply use a hand beater) and beat on medium speed for approximately 5 minutes or until the mixture is fluffy, white and voluminous. Add the vanilla and beat for 30 seconds or so.
7. Use a knife to cut out a hole in the middle of each cupcake. Then grab your piping bag fitted with a large round tip and fill with the marshmallow fluff, then pipe into the hole of each cupcake. Alternatively, you could use a teaspoon to spoon the mixture in. Repeat for all 12 cupcakes.
8. Chocolate buttercream
   In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy and smooth and then sift in half the icing sugar. Add a tablespoon of milk or two to help loosen up the mixture. Add the rest of the icing sugar and the cocoa powder and continue to beat. Add a tablespoon of milk as needed.
9. The icing should be nice and creamy but thick enough to hold its shape. Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes using a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Finally, sprinkle over a few biscuit crumbs and stick a biscuit cracker in the top.