Marshmallow Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

I love to bake and I am always baking, coming up with new ideas, recipes, figuring out tricks and tips and more. Luckily I have built in taste testers thanks to my mom and best friend who live with me. Every once in awhile I'll get a text from my best friend when she's at work begging for requesting a certain cupcake, or can you try and make this or that, etc. Well, this time it was the request for a Hostess  Cupcake knock-off. Is it just me or are you always left wanting more creme when eating those? So I set out to make just that with a twist and extra creme in the middle!

I started with my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe because really-- you just can't fail with it. I am not a chocolate fan, I don't really care for chocolate cake, candy, ice cream-- any of it, but this cupcake I will eat. Always. So good! 

I decided to use marshmallow fluff to fill them since it is both delicious and easy. Since it is so thick I knew I wouldn't be able to use my Wilton Round Decorating Tip 230 that I normally use to fill cupcakes. So I decided to use my mellon baller instead. I started by taking off a little "hat" and some more cupcake inside and discarding the crumbs but saving the "hat".

I filled a decorating bag with marshmallow fluff and just cut off then end to pipe the filling into the cupcake. I filled them as much as I could and then some! 

Next, I put their little "hat" back on to cover the surprise that's in the middle. 

I decided to top them with caramel buttercream because I just love it! It is so delicious and goes perfect with a chocolate cupcake. However, you could top them with a chocolate ganache for a more Hostess Cupcake look if you wanted! 

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Marshmallow Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients 

Cupcakes:

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup Hershey's cocoa

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup heavy cream (you could use all milk or all cream, I only had fat free milk so I mixed the two)

1/4 cup fat free milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Filling:

1 1/2- 2 cups Jet Puff Marshmallow Creme

Frosting:

Caramel Buttercream 

or 

Chocolate Ganache

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