Homemade "Hostess" Cupcakes

As I was perusing Allrecipes.com the other day, I came across this recipe for Cream-Filled Cupcakes. I really wanted to make them- I have a Wilton bismark-filling tip for filling bismarks and cupcakes, and I've never used it, so I really wanted to try it out. I made these when we had friends over for a barbecue. In the filling, I used all butter instead of shortening, and I used canola oil in the cupcakes. I glazed them with Satiny Chocolate Glaze and used the leftover white filling to make the squiggle thingy on top. It was hard to tell how much filling was being piped into these because I couldn't actually see if; my 1st cupcakes had hardly any filling inside. The photo below of the inside of the cupcake was one of my first ones that didn't have much filling. I actually had some filling leftover. I made 30 cupcakes, not 36. I would make these again- the batter was so easy to whip up and they are just fun to make. They were a huge hit with the kids. I changed the directions below to accomodate what I did.

Cream-Filled Cupcakes
adapted from Allrecipes.com

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil, water and vanilla. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine butter, confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla and salt; beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Insert a decorating tip into a pastry or plastic bag; fill with cream filling. Push the tip through the top of each cupcake to fill.

3. Frost tops with chocolate frosting or glaze (below), and pipe a white squiggly line on top.

Satiny Chocolate Glaze

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.In a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water, combine chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, then add vanilla.

2.Spread warm glaze over top of each cupcake.

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