Makes about 30 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

For cola cupcakes
2 cups AP flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) margarine (I used unsalted butter instead)
1 cup Coca-Cola©
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cup mini marshmallows (I used about 15 jumbo marshmallows)

For brown sugar rum IMBC
1-1/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup water
5 eggs whites
1 lb (4 sticks) butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp dark rum* (I used 3 tbsp of Myer’s Original Dark)

IMBC = italian meringue buttercream
* You could substitute with 4 tbsp rum extract too

INSTRUCTIONS

To make cupcakes—
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line pan with cupcake liners.

In stand mixer fitted with a flat beater, combine flour and sugar; set aside. In saucepan, combine margarine, cola and cocoa and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Add marshmallows and stir slowly until melted.

Remove pan from heat and pour over flour and sugar. Mix thoroughly to combine. Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla. Mix well.

Fill cupcake liners about 1/2-2/3 full and bake for about 17-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool before frost.

[NOTES: Don't worry if batter seems a little thin. It will bake up fine.]

To make IMBC—
In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar and water and bring to a boil. Boil until sugar has reached soft-ball stage (235º-240ºF).

 While sugar boiling, place egg whites into a clean, stainless-steel mixer bowl. Using the whip attachment, beat on low speed until foamy. Raise the speed to medium high and whip until stiff.

With the mixer running, add your brown sugar syrup slowly into the beaten egg whites in a steady stream. Continue beating on high speed until the mixture has cooled down, about 3 minutes.

Keep the mixer running and add butter 1 tbsp at a time. Add vanilla and rum. (Don’t worry if buttercream starts to look curdled. Just keep beating until buttercream is smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.)

ENJOY!