Dreamy Cream Filled Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare cake mix according to the package directions, substituting coffee for the water called for on the box, if desired. A slightly richer chocolate flavor will result, but no detectable coffee flavor. Beat with mixer on low until all flour is moistened, then beat for 2 minute on medium speed, as directed on the box. Really, any kind of cake mix you desire can be used, just follow the box's directions.
• Divide into 24 paper muffin liners that have been sprayed with non-stick spray for easy removal from cakes. Bake at 325 degrees (25 less than the box calls for) for 18 to 22 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. The lower temperature helps the cakes to remain moist and even topped--a trick I learned from my Wilton class instructor! Remove cakes to a rack to cool.
• In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk until there are no lumps. Heat milk and flour on Medium Low heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens to a gravy consistency. Remove from hot pan into a cool bowl and cover with saran. Allow to cool to room temperature. A cool water bath or refrigeration will speed up this process.
• In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and granulated sugar about 5 minutes. Add cooled milk-flour gravy and beat until fluffy and granulated sugar is dissolved completely, about another 5 minutes. Be sure to scrape your bowl and beater so that the grains of sugar at the top will be beaten in and dissolved. If in doubt, whip more. Now add vanilla and powdered sugar and whip well.
• Once cakes are fully cooled, place filling in a frosting bag with a star tip (I use size 18 or so) and press the tip down into the middle of each cake, about ¾ of an inch deep. Give a good squeeze to the bag, enough to cause the top of the cupcake to rise, but not enough to cause it to crack. If it does crack, don't worry. The buttercream will cover it! Lift out the tip and repeat with each cake. Freshly baked and cooled cupcakes, or cupcakes stored in an airtight container until you are ready to frost them, are less likely to crack.
• Make the buttercream frosting for the cupcake tops by creaming margarine, shortening, flavorings and water until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and meringue powder and beat until combined. Avoid over-beating to retain a smoother frosting.
• Frost tops of cupcakes with buttercream and enjoy! Store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer if you plan on keeping them around for a while. Store any leftover frosting and filling in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freezer as well. Both will keep great for months in the freezer, if they can last that long! Blessings!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 36 muffin cups with paper liners.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, 1 cup milk, water, oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well. Fill each muffin cup half-full of batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
• Make filling: In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening together until smooth. Blend in confectioners' sugar and pinch of salt. Gradually beat in 3 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. beat until light and fluffy. Fill a pastry bag with a small tip. Push tip through bottom of paper liner to fill each cupcake.

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly spray 18 muffin cups with baking spray.
• To make the cake batter, combine the flour, granulated sugar and salt. Set aside.
• In a separate container, combine the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and eggs. Stir to combine and set aside.
• In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and stir to combine. Add the boiling water, allow to bubble for a few seconds and then turn off the heat.
• Pour the chocolate mixture over the flour mixture. Stir a few times to cool the chocolate. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the top and stir to combine.
• Fill muffin cups just over half full (do not overfill!). Bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, and then remove the cupcakes and allow to cool completely on a baking rack.
• For the ganache: To make the ganache, heat the cream and corn syrup over medium heat. Chop the chocolate and add to a bowl. Add the vanilla to the cream mixture, and then pour the cream mixture over the top of the chopped chocolate. Whisk together until melted, smooth and glossy. Allow to cool slightly.
• For the creme filling: Whip together the butter and shortening until light and fluffy.
• Sift together the powdered sugar and salt and add it to the butter mixture in batches. Add the milk, then the vanilla, beating the whole time. Scrape the sides of the bowl, and beat until very light and fluffy. Put the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a medium tip.
• When the cupcakes are totally cool, insert the tip of the pastry bag into the bottom of the cupcake and fill with creme filling. When cupcakes are filled, spoon ganache so that it completely coats each cupcake OR dip to coat.
• Let them set before serving.

Steps:

• For the cake batter: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add the sugar, gluten-free baking mix, cocoa powder and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Add the milk, oil and vanilla and mix on low speed until combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Turn the mixer to low and slowly pour in 1 cup hot water, making sure it is evenly incorporated into the batter.
• Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full with the batter and bake until the top of each cupcake is slightly springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes. Immediately turn the cupcakes out of the pans onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.
• For the chocolate ganache: Put the cream in a saucepot and heat to a scald over medium heat. Do not boil!
• Put the chocolate in a mixing bowl and pour the hot cream over it. Let it sit a moment and then gently stir to combine and melt the chocolate. Set aside to cool and thicken up slightly. The ganache can be made several days ahead of time and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• For the caramel corn: Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Spread the popcorn out on the baking sheet and carefully pick out and discard any unpopped kernels.
• In a saucepot, bring the butter, sugar, salt and 1/4 cup water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Stirring constantly, boil until the mixture thickens and darkens to the color of peanut butter. Just before the mixture starts to smoke, quickly pour it over the popcorn on the baking sheet. Using two spatulas, quickly toss the popcorn in the caramel to coat the corn, and spread it out on the baking sheet. Set aside to cool completely, and then break up into pieces.
• For the marshmallow creme mascarpone frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer using a whisk attachment, combine the marshmallow creme, mascarpone, heavy cream, vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste and salt and whisk on low speed until there are no lumps and all the ingredients are combined. Turn to medium-high speed and whip to medium-firm peaks.
• Fit an 18-inch piping bag with a round tip and twist and hold the bag right by the tip to prevent the frosting from leaking out. Fold the top of the piping bag over your hand and spoon the frosting into the bag.
• To assemble, dip each cupcake in the chocolate ganache, roll in the caramel corn pieces to create a crunchy shell, top with the marshmallow creme mascarpone frosting and drizzle with more chocolate ganache. Garnish with a piece of caramel corn

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Spoon frosting into corner of resealable heavy-duty food-storage plastic bag. Cut about 1/4 inch off corner of bag. Gently push cut corner of bag into center of cupcake. Squeeze about 2 teaspoons frosting into center of each cupcake for filling, being careful not to split cupcake. Frost tops of cupcakes with remaining frosting.
• Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of each cupcake. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375*F. Line 36 muffin cups with paper liners.
• 2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, 1 cup milk, water, oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well. Fill each muffin cup half-full of batter.
• 3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
• 4. Make filling: In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening together until smooth. Blend in confectioners' sugar and pinch of salt. Gradually beat in 3 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. beat until light and fluffy. Fill a pastry bag with a small tip. Push tip through bottom of paper liner to fill each cupcake.
• My Notes: Here is the EASIEST tip for filling the cupcakes. Take an APPLE CORER and use that to pull a cylindrical plug of cake out of each cupcake (once they've cooled). Save the plugs on the side while you pipe filling into each hole you've created. "Plug" up each hole using the plugs/caps you had removed with the apple corer. Simple and fast!
• I'd use a different recipe for that part next time. The cream filling was great, so I wound up using a double batch of filling for one batch of cupcakes. I didn't like the idea of pushing it in from the bottom (sounded way too messy for me). So I used a knife and cut a cone shape out of the top, spooned the filling in, and replaced the top. (Just be sure to wait until the cupcakes have cooled, or the cream filling just melts!) Then I frosted them using the great chocolate frosting recipe mentioned, and you can't tell they're anything but chocolate cupcakes until you bite into them.
• All you need is a pastry bag and tip. Each cupcake takes about 10 seconds to fill. I made my cupcakes in the pan without wrappers, filled them after they were cool, then arranged a dozen or so to a platter and drizzled them with chocolate ganache. They looked surprisingly elegant for cupcakes. Everyone loved them and ate seconds and thirds. I can't wait to try the same cupcake recipe with different fillings. UPDATE: I have made these cupcakes dozens of times since my first review because they are always requested. I like to ice them with Satiny Chocolate Glaze. I have also filled them with chocolate cream cheese frosting, nutella, and whipped peanut butter frosting. I like to fill them from the top and then spoon the glaze on. After the glaze is set, I pipe a small flower in the center of each cupcake with whatever filling I used.

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake batter according to package directions, using 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For filling, in a small bowl, combine water and salt until salt is dissolved. Cool. In a small bowl, beat the marshmallow creme, shortening, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy; beat in the salt mixture., Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry bag; insert round pastry tip. Fill the bag with cream filling. Push tip through the top of each cupcake to fill center. , Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, to room temperature or until ganache reaches a dipping consistency., Dip cupcake tops in ganache; chill for 20 minutes or until set. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for dark or nonstick pans). Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes, using water, oil and eggs. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Spoon frosting into corner of resealable heavy-duty food-storage plastic bag. Cut about 1/4 inch off corner of bag. Gently push cut corner of bag into center of cupcake. Squeeze about 2 teaspoons frosting into center of each cupcake for filling, being careful not to split cupcake. Frost tops of cupcakes with remaining frosting.
• Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of each cupcake. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• Pour water into large bowl. Add 1/2 cup lemonade drink mix; mix well. Add remaining cake ingredients; beat with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl as necessary until mixture is smooth. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks; cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat all frosting ingredients except food color with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. If necessary, add a little more milk until mixture is spreadable. For a yellow frosting, beat in a few drops yellow food color. Refrigerate until ready to frost cupcakes.
• Frost cooled cupcakes. Refrigerator until ready to serve. Store in refrigerator.