Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Filling (Like Hostess)

Our church had a community worship service and a dinner before.  BJ asked for some desserts and here is one of three I made.  It is my husband’s favorite chocolate cake recipe, a dark chocolate buttercream and cream filling.  This cream filling is awesome and I can’t wait to do more applications with it.  Not only could you stuff cupcakes like a Hostess cupcake, but you could simply inject the cream filling into any 13×9, or round cake, or make some homemade Twinkies!  I’ll have to work on a recipe for the Twinkies’ spongecake and add that to my list.

I have listed the cake and frosting recipes in a previous post, but I hate post hopping so I’ll put it down at the bottom.  Here is the Cream Filling for the Cupcakes.  As stated in the past, I try many recipes before finding one good enough to post.  After several so-so cupcake recipes, this one really takes the… “cake”.  Okay, sorry I had to say it.

Cream Filling
filling for at least 26 cupcakes (I had some leftover after filling them)

1 and 1/2 tsp. hot water
1/4 tsp. salt (not coarse/kosher)
1/2 cup shortening (Crisco is now trans fat free)
1- 7 ounce jar of marshmallow creme
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1.  In a small bowl, combine the hot water and salt.  Dissolve and allow to cool.
2.  In a medium bowl, combine the shortening, creme, sugar and vanilla.  Beat with an electric mixer on low (so sugar doesn’t fly) and increase speed to medium-high until fluffy.
3.  Add water/salt mixture.  Beat more until light and fluffy
4.  To inject into cupcakes I tried two methods and both worked well but one is easier.  I took a #22 Wilton tip on a pastry bag and injected about 1 tablespoon of cream filling into the cupcakes.  This was fast and worked well.  I also tried coring the cupcake with my apple corer like I do for other fillings.  This worked well too but created more mess.

Recipe from http://www.evilshenanigans.com/2009/02/cream-filling-for-cupcakes/

 As promised here are my recipes for chocolate cake and chocolate buttercream.  The buttercream one I adapted from Wilton.  Each recipe can also be cut in half successfully.

Chocolate Cake
yield 16-20 servings  (26-28 cupcakes, or 2- 8×4 loaves, 2 – 8″ or 9″ round pans)

** If you are doing a cake about 3 layers or more (or heavy frostings/candy in between), you can add 3 eggs instead of 2 successfully to this recipe.  The added protein will add more structure to the cake **

2 cups sugar
1 and 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk (substitution: 1 Tbs. lemon juice and 1 cup 2% milk)
1 cup strong coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In one big bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt.  Stir together with a whisk or beat on low in the mixer.
2.  Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, vegetable oil, and vanilla.  Beat on medium for 2 minutes.  It will be watery and that is just fine.
3.  As cupcakes:  using a large scoop (3 Tbs), spoon the batter into the cupcakes and bake 14-16 minutes
As 13×9″ cake: bake 35-40 min.
As 2- 4″x8″ loaves: bake 22-25 minutes
As 2 round pans: bake 22-25 minutes

As always: check with a toothpick for doneness.  Cool for 10 minutes then invert the cake/cupcakes out of the pan to cool on the wire rack.  To freeze, cool mostly and wrap in saran wrap twice.  Then wrap in aluminum foil.  Freeze in the original pan if possible.

Dark Chocolate Buttercream

yield: about 3 cups

2 sticks (1 cup or 8oz.) of unsalted butter, room temp.
3/4 cup dark cocoa, sifted  (Hershey makes this one commercially available.)
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla
3-4 Tbs. milk

1.  Cream the butter until light and whipped – about 1 minute on medium.
2.  On LOW speed, slowly add the  cocoa and powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time.
3.  Scrape the bowl to make sure all the sugar is in there.  Add vanilla and milk.  Beat on medium/medium high speed for 2 minutes.
Use immediately or store in the fridge until later use.

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And Linked also to: Lady Behind the Curtain