So I think I've stumbled across something fabulous. My recent strain of domestic bliss has had me on a major cooking/baking kick and I've been working on perfecting cupcakes lately. These beauties were made this afternoon for a pending soiree tomorrow night and after sampling my first attempt, I admit it's been a test of wills to leave them in my fridge all day long.
Part of what made this adventure so exciting was my journey in pastry bags, piping, and bismark attachments. I invested in an inexpensive Wilton cupcake tool kit at my local WalMart and was ready to go. It came with 12 single use pastry bags, four tips, and great instructions - all for under ($8). With a quick Google entry, I was amazed to find a great how-to video on just such a topic, courtesy of Howdini and the Betty Crocker Kitchens. Check it out here:
Doesn't she just make you want to start baking and making the coolest decorated treats? That's the way I felt, at least. Call me a baking geek, but I'm so glad to be getting back to my roots and able to start making great food. Maybe I'm an immediate gratification junkie, I don't know. There's also something about watching other people enjoy what you've made - it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Back to cupcakes. These were an exercise in making a chocolate lover's dream come true. Simple yet elegant-looking, they're great for any Single Girl recipe book and are sure to impress the next time you need to bring treats to a big event.
Chocolate Bliss Cupcakes
1 box Chocolate Fudge cake mix
Make cake mix according to directions, but substitute 1 stick margarine in place of oil for a richer taste and texture. May add hot fudge directly to batter to increase fudginess. Beat thoroughly with mixer until light and fluffy.
Fill cupcakes 2/3 fill and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool completely.
Prepare pastry bag with bismark tip and fill with room temperature hot fudge sauce. Insert bismark tip one inch down into cooled cupcake. Squeeze pastry bag 2-3 times, filling cupcake as desired. Remove tip, covering hole with hot fudge. Repeat until all cupcakes are filled.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
3/4 C real butter
1/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
3 C confectioner's sugar
2-4 T heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cream the butter until fluffy. Sift the cocoa with the confectioner's sugar in a separate bowl. Add cocoa/sugar mixture to the butter slowly with 1 T cream at a time to keep the mixture smooth. Do not add more than 1/4 C cream to maintain piping consistency. Add vanilla extract. Blend well. May also add 1 C hot fudge for more intense chocolate flavor.
Frost cupcakes and top with chocolate sprinkles immediately while frosting is still wet, moving quickly. Drizzle hot fudge over the top. Enjoy!
Post Cooking Impressions: Just for chocolate quantity alone, these beauties score an easy 5 out of 5 forks. This was one of those random recipes that just kind of "happened" to me when I wondered what it would be like to put hot fudge in the middle. After perfecting the process, these are definitely worth making again and again. In my initial taste test, I made 50% standard cakes and 50% with hot fudge in them, and my tasters kept demanding more with the fudge. Besides, who doesn't like something with a delicious surprise in the middle? Just look at the success of Hostess after all of these years....
