Recipe : Chocolate-Cream Inside Cupcakes

Chocolate-Cream Inside Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 Pinch salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

Filling Ingredients:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing Ingredients
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

Cupcake Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. In a medium mixing bowl, re-sift the flour with the
baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until they're light and creamy. Add the
eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add the vanilla. Then, with a wooden spoon,
beat in half the buttermilk and half the flour and cocoa mixture, stirring well to combine. Add
the remaining buttermilk, and remaining flour mixture and beat until thoroughly mixed. Pour
the batter into the muffin tins (about 1/4 cup of batter per tin). Use an ice cream scoop to add
the batter.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out
clean. Cool the cupcakes on a cake rack. When completely cool, remove the cupcakes from
their paper liners.

Filling Instructions:
In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream with the sugar and vanilla until the mixture is stiff.
With a small knife, cut out a small cone shape from the bottom of each cupcake and reserve
them for later. With a knife or small spoon, remove about a teaspoon full of cake from inside
each cupcake to create a hole.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4 -inch round tip with the whipped cream, and pipe it into the
hollow (if you don't have a pastry bag, cut the corner out of a plastic baggy). Plug the bottom
of the filled cupcakes with the reserved cake cones and set the cupcakes, on a baking sheet
and refrigerate.

Icing Instructions:
In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate, water, and sugar and bring to a boil. When the
ingredients are at a boil, lower the heat and simmer very gently, stirring occasionally, for 5
minutes. Transfer the icing bowl, whisk in the butter, and cool until the icing has set up.
Remove the cupcakes from the fridge, then pour the icing on each cupcake. With a rubber
spatula, spread the icing out to the edges and refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve the
cupcakes on individual plates.