Diet Coke Cupcakes with Marshmallow Creme Frosting

Finally!!!! A chance to bake. I found an excuse.... Happy early birthday, Cat! February 5th is Catherine's (my favorite & only sister) birthday, and I wanted to bring some cupcakes up to Birmingham with me when I visit this weekend. I should be packing and doing laundry right now, but look what I'm doing instead. Even though the picture doesn't show it, I made the marshmallow frosting a light pink (I haven't mastered the photography and lighting quite yet). They turned out really cute, and they taste good as well. The cupcakes are the infamous WW diet coke cupcakes. They are so moist. If you're making a dark cake, you use a dark diet drink, and if you're making a light colored cake, you will use a clear diet drink.

Once the cupcakes are cooled and the marshmallow creme is made, put the creme in a gallon ziplock bag and pipe the creme on the top of the cupcakes. If you don't feel up to making the marshmallow creme, you can buy the jar and pipe it on top of the cupcakes.


I got the recipe for the marshmallow creme from marthastewart.com

Cupcakes

Ingredients:
12 ounces Diet Coke
1 box of chocolate cake mix (I used devil's food)

Directions:
Mix together the Diet Coke with the cake mix with an electric mixer. Pour batter into cupcake papers, and bake according to the directions on the box. Once out of the oven. let the cupcakes cool on a wire rack.

Marshmallow Creme Frosting

Ingredients:
3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and cream of tartar together until light and frothy. With the mixer running, slowly pour in 2 tablespoons sugar; beat until soft peaks form. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine 1/3 cup water, corn syrup, and remaining 2/3 cup sugar. Place over medium heat and cook until boiling. Cook, stirring, until mixture reaches the firm-ball stage, about 242 to 248 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 6 minutes. Immediately remove from heat.
With the mixer on low, slowly add hot syrup to egg-white mixture. Increase mixer speed to high and continue beating for 5 minutes. Add vanilla and continue to beat until mixture looks like marshmallow cream, about 1 minute more.

My Notes: To make the frosting pink, I put 3 drops of red food coloring into the egg white mixture at the beginning step, and I put another 4 drops in after I poured the syrup mixture into the egg whites. I will also probably add another 1/2 or 1 tsp of vanilla to enhance the sweetness of the marshmallow creme next time I make this.

teeheehee.... even Riley (my nephew) likes them!