Two bars of premium baking chocolate, inspiration from a cooking magazine, and an invitation to dinner gave me a good reason to make some special cupcakes. After flipping through the latest issue of Everyday Food, I was inspired by their "nostalgic desserts" spread to one up their "hostess" cupcake recipe. Their recipe was for an unfrosted chocolate cupcake made with cocoa powder and filled with some jazzed up store-bought marshmallow creme. With some very yummy chocolate in the pantry and some of my favorite recipes, I set out to bake my version of the cupcakes.

Don't you feel like a kid again?

And yes, they're filled!

This whole food blogging and posting recipes thing is still all new to me. I know the copyright limits and such for knitting, but this food/recipe thing is whole different story. Since I didn't change or alter any recipes while making these cupcakes, I don't feel comfortable writing out any of the recipes I've used. So what you'll get is my "formula" for putting these together in which you can either look up the recipes I've used or use your own personal favorites.

Chocolate Fauxstess Cupcakes

cupcake: Chocolate cupcakes, "More from Magnolia"
filling and "squiggle": Seven Minute Icing, "More from Magnolia"
frosting: Chocolate glaze, "Cupcakes!"

Bake cupcakes as directed except do not use liners. Pour the batter directly into the pan, making sure to spray the muffin pan with vegetable spray to prevent sticking. While the cupcakes are baking, prepare your frosting and let cool. I found out that the chocolate glaze recipe that I used is basically a ganache recipe. If you are using a different recipe, I would select either a ganache or something that is fairly easy to spread and will set a bit to give it the most authentic look possible. Once the cupcakes have cooled, use a melon baller to scoop out the middle of the cupcakes from the top.

Fill me!

Next make the filling. The Seven Minute Icing recipe I used instructs you to use it immediately once it has been made, which is why I scooped middles out first. If you choose a different recipe that does not require immediate use, you can prepare it ahead of time. Fill a pastry bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off with the filling and fill the cupcakes.

Replace the tops on the cupcakes, making sure to slice off the bottom half (otherwise it won't fit flush). Brush any crumbs off the tops of the cupcakes and frost. Fit the pastry bag with the filling with a writing tip or use another ziploc bag with a smaller piece of corner cut off and have fun making squiggles across the top of the cupcakes. Once you're done, admire and enjoy!

Now where's the milk?

Some random and not so random notes:
I made these cupcakes without liners because I wanted them to look like their original counterparts. Keep in mind that the cupcakes will dry out faster without liners. So if you choose to make them without liners, you should serve them immediately as they taste best the day they are made. Even if you put them in a airtight container overnight, they will still dry out a bit.

It's funny how some recipes dome more than others. The Magnolia chocolate cupcake recipe, in particular, domes a LOT. I've found that prefer flatter cupcakes as they're easier to frost.