Chocolate Cream Filled Cupcakes

These are the cupcakes that I brought with me to retreat this time. I've seen the recipe all over the internet and in a magazine and kept thinking how fun this would be. In addition to the classic "swirl" on top I also did my best at putting some words - laugh, fun, LOL, haha - on top. And I left cupcakes at home for Keith that said "love" and "babe" on them.

The only real problem I had with these is that it's a little hard to tell how much cream filling is really going into the cupcake. The girls at retreat all said I should add more filling and when I told them that I ended up throwing some away I almost feared there would be a mutiny! :)

Chocolate Cream Filled Cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 t vanilla
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin cups with paper liners (I got 21 cupcakes from this recipe).

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend. Combine the buttermilk and vanilla in a measuring cup. Beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl on medium high until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture.

Divide the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.


Filling and Swirl Ingredients

4 T unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 - 3 T milk

Beat butter in a medium bowl until light and fluffy; gradually add powdered sugar. Add 2 T of milk and beat 5 minutes until mostly white and fluffy, adding additional milk if mixture is too thick. Spoon frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain round tip. Insert tip of pastry bag into the top of cupcakes, about 1/2 inch deep, and squeeze.


Chocolate Glaze Ingredients

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 T light corn syrup
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Heat the cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips. Cover and let stand 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.

Dip the tops of the filled cupcakes into the chocolate glaze. Place on a cooling rack to set for 10 minutes.

Change the piping tip for the vanilla frosting to a smaller round tip to pipe decorative swirls or words on top of the glazed cupcakes.

I dare you to just eat one!