Place the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and mix together.

Add the milk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract and mix with an electric mixer until combined.

Slowly add the boiling water and mix until well combined.

Grease and flour one 9x13 inch cake pan.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then turn onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Place the butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla extract or vanilla bean seeds and mix until combined.

Add the confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time, mixing with each addition. Then beat for another 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Crumble the cake into bite-sized pieces in a bowl. Then use an electric mixer to break the cake into smaller crumbs. The electric mixer makes the process so much easier!

Add about 2 cups of buttercream and continue to beat with the electric mixer until it’s fully incorporated. The mixture should retain its shape with squished. Add more buttercream if necessary.

Line 6 small bowls with plastic wrap, making sure excess plastic wrap is hanging over the sides. The bowls I used have a 1-cup capacity and the mixture filled 6 of them. But you can use any size that you like!

Firmly press the cake mixture into the bowls and fold the excess plastic wrap over the top of the cake. Place the bowls into the fridge for 1 hour or freezer for 20 – 30 minutes, until the cake has stiffened.

While the cake is setting, make the handles. Divide the fondant (or marzipan) into 6 even portions, or however many handles you need for your cups. Roll them into thick sausages, then bend in half to form a handle.

Break or cut each lollipop stick in half and stick one half into each end the handle. It should look like an open safety pin.

Place the handles onto a sheet of parchment paper and leave at room temperature to stiffen until ready to use. These handles can also be made several days in advance and stored at room temperature until ready to use.

Remove the cakes from the bowls one at a time. Place a glass or cup upside down on your work surface. Remove the plastic wrap from the cake and place the cake flat side down onto the glass. This will create a little pedestal for decorating the cake.

Cover the entire surface of the cake with some buttercream. For an extra smooth surface, you can use the edge of a small sheet of cake-decorating acetate film to smooth over the surface. This is a great alternative to covering the entire cake in fondant.

Stick the handle into the side of the mug.

Place your desired plate or dish on top of the cake, then flip the mug pedestal upside down to easily flip the mug over. Smooth any rough edges of the frosting by spreading inwards, towards the center of the top of the cake. This will create a beautiful, clean edge.

Place 1 cup of buttercream into a bowl. Set aside. Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 second intervals until melted, stirring at each interval. Allow the melted chocolate to cool to room temperature – if we add it to the buttercream while it’s hot, it will melt the buttercream!

Once the chocolate chips have cooled to room temperature, add them to the buttercream and mix until fully combined.

Place a dollop of chocolate buttercream on top of the mugs and gently spread to the sides.

Gently place a coffee stencil on top of the chocolate buttercream. Dust some confectioner’s sugar on top, then very carefully remove the stencil.

Place the remaining buttercream into a piping bag and snip off the end to create a medium-sized opening. Pipe buttercream around the edges of the mugs, then smooth the sides with the sheet of acetate.

Top with some mini marshmallows and enjoy!