Mississippi Mud Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting Carry a Sweet Message

Mississippi Mud Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

The Inspiration

The inspiration for this week’s Mississippi Mud Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting was simple. This weekend would have been our sweet Piper’s doggie birthday, and the white, billowy frosting reminded me of her thick white fur.

Silly, right? Well, it just fit. When she dwelled on this side of the rainbow bridge, we always shared dog-friendly peanut butter cupcakes with her. Now that we share with humans, we can have chocolate.

As noted by the author of Vintage Cakes, Julia Richardson, this recipe was based on  Mississippi mud pie and Mississippi mud cake, popularized in the 1960s. Her take on it resulted in a homemade marshmallow frosting on top (thank you) instead of using manufactured marshmallows.

“Nut” Your Average Cake

The cake, like many others, was quick and easy to whip up. Honestly, it’s not much more labor-intensive than a mix. The recipe called for hot coffee whisked into the Dutch cocoa, so I just brewed some extra when I made my morning Joe.

Of course, Mississippi mud requires nuts—in this case, toasted pecans. The addition of chocolate chips put a smile on this chocolate-lover’s face.

Here’s a secret…I didn’t have buttermilk on hand, so I used plain kefir instead.

A Bit of Magic

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, egg whites are magical. Whipped egg whites and hot sugar syrup spun together to create a light-as-air marshmallow miracle to top these cupcakes. The fluffy, beautiful clouds atop these cupcakes were—pardon the pun—a piece of cake.

The frosting became a topic of conversation when sharing these with friends. To anyone who isn’t acquainted with the confection-making mystery of egg whites, this marshmallow frosting is an enigma.

Another Winning Chocolate Cake

It’s astounding to me how many chocolate cake recipes there are. This recipe was another good one—dark and moist.

Admittedly, I’m not usually a fan of nuts in a cake—just my personal preference.

You know what? I loved it! Perhaps it was the combination of chocolate chips alongside the pecans that made the difference. The marshmallowy topping was the perfect complement.

These were special cupcakes, indeed. What a treat to share with friends to commemorate our sweet, special pup.

Unexpectedly Finding Meaning: The Transcend Moment

There wasn’t really a deep meaning in selecting this week’s cake for the blog. Sometimes that is actually the challenge. It makes me think.

As I was considering the cake itself and the frosting’s representation of fluffy white fur, I realized the lesson.

Mississippi mud…mud is actually the key, not the fur. Thick, white fur was one of Piper’s features that we will always remember. That fur is what brought me the idea for the cake of the week, but the name of the cupcakes is what is relevant to the present.

Presently, we have three greyhounds (two full and one mix). There are endless unique features of greyhounds, to be honest. If you’re unfamiliar with these quirky hounds, I’m still not convinced they are even real dogs.

Sometimes the greyhound quirks are frustrating. Don’t get me wrong, they are really the coolest “dogs.” They merely try my patience sometimes.

The Message is in the Mud

What is the connection? I also mention this in my soon-to-be-published book. Greyhound paws are like suction cups—they hold an inordinate amount of mud (it’s poop in my book, by the way).

With spring upon us, the warmer weather is welcome; the bare yard and mud pit are not. With twelve mud-suctioning paws, we get well acquainted with mud.

Yes, we use paw scrubbers and hang towels by our door. However, sometimes the cleaning isn’t completely effective. Sometimes one of the devils escapes our grip and decorates our house with his stamp of freedom—everywhere. Greyhounds are fast!

When I thought about it, this was a subtle message to forgive the muddy paws. Piper had her flaws, too (all that white fur, for one), but once she was gone, none of that mattered.

The bigger message could even apply to life in general. What won’t matter in five years isn’t worth the stress now, in most cases.

Thanks for inspiring the message, sweet doggo.

Sweet Piper—The Best Good Doggo