Whoa 2.0

*Places self in dog house*
I suppose I'm a bit overdue in getting this recipe to you, huh?
I do apologize for the recent infrequency of my posts- last week was midterms, this week will be much calmer. HOWEVER, this week will end in an incredibly exciting event:
CUPCAKES FOR A GOOD CAUSE.
It's a cupcake competition in Harrisonburg, VA, and all the proceeds go to supporting those in the surrounding area that have been affected by lung cancer.
And I'm entering!!!
I won't reveal which cupcake I will be entering, but it's gonna be ballin :)
In the words of the great Kristen Wiig, I'M SO FREAKIN EXCITED!

Anyways, on to the promised recipe.
I combined two recipes to make these bad boys, and it turned out pretty well. They were a little messy, so I'm gonna try to tweak the combination in the future. It turned into a rather disastrous adventure as my impulse control seemingly vanished.. As you may know, I've been on a chocolate "detox" for the last two and a half months to see if it is a potential migraine trigger. Instead of slowly introducing chocolate back into my diet like a normal person, I went ballistic, and I ate THREE.

When you make these cupcakes, you will understand why eating three is a really bad idea, whether you've been deprived of chocolate for two and a half months or not.

Needless to say, I was in a rather extraordinary chocolate coma the following day. I was so dizzy I could hardly get out of bed. BUT I refuse to accept the possibility that chocolate is a trigger... I believe that I can  enjoy chocolate, just in moderation... We'll see how that works out.

Okay, here's the recipe for real!
Note: I doubled the Creme and Ganache recipes. The original recipe can be found via the link below :)


Chocolate Marshmallow Creme Filled Cupcakes
Courtesy of Sweet Baking Supply and Glorious Treats
Yield: 30 cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Sugar- 2 c
Flour- 1 3/4 c
Cocoa- 3/4 c (*NOTE: Orig. calls for unsweetened, I used Hershey's Dark and it was amazing!)
Baking powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Baking soda- 1 1/2 tsp
Salt- 1 tsp
Eggs- 2
Whole milk- 1 c
Canola oil- 1/2 c
Vanilla extract- 2 tsp
Boiling water- 1 c

Directions:
1. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat for one minute on medium speed.
3. Stir in boiling water (DO NOT PANIC, the batter is supposed to be thin!).
4. Fill liners 2/3 full with batter. BE CAREFUL. I definitely overfilled my liners, and it turned out a little crazy.
5. Bake approx. 22-24 minutes at 350 degrees.

Marshmallow Creme Filling
Ingredients:
Marshmallow creme- 14 oz (two 7 oz containers)
Butter- 1 c (softened)
Powdered sugar- 2/3 c
Water- 2 tbsp
Salt- 1/2 tsp

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together with an electric mixer until fluffy.
Note: Mine wouldn't really get fluffy, I'm not entirely sure why. If you get better results than I do, let me know in the comments section, please!

Ganache Frosting
Ingredients:
Semisweet chocolate chips- 24 oz (two 12 oz bags)
Heavy cream- 2 c

Directions:
1. In microwave, heat chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl until chips are soft. Let sit for one minute to continue melting the chips.
2. Stir, then allow mixture to cool to room temperature. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy.

ASSEMBLY
There are several approaches to filling a cupcake. My preferred method is using my Cuispro cupcake corer, then using a spoon to position the filling. The original recipe suggests filling a piping bag with a large tip and coupler and inserting it into the cupcake, then filling it until the cupcake expands slightly. This did not work for me, as my creme filling was a little runny. Whichever method floats your boat! :)

Note: HAVE MILK LEFTOVER FOR DRINKING! These cupcakes are SOOO chocolatey and delicious, and they're even better with a nice cold glass of milk!