Chocolate Vanilla Cream Filled Cupcakes

For those of you not in or around this area, there is a fabulous bakery called Schulers. It's a Springfield, Ohio staple. Kids grow up on the stuff (us included), adults love it & residents that move out of town make it a first stop when visiting. Yes folks it's THAT good.

My brother Michael & my sister Kerry & I all have the same favorite, the chocolate cream filled donuts. I once hauled a dozen of these things on a plane to San Francisco for my brother. Let's just say I was pretty popular & got alot of bribes on the airplane. In an attempt to roll this favorite dessert cupcake style, I fiddled around & LET ME TELL YOU...........what I came up with is so good it doesn't even make any sense. Folks we're talking eyes roll back in your head, loss of words good. I took them to work & people went nuts over them. Bobby took some to his work too & got mobbed. So if you have some time & have alot of folks to feed give this recipe a try.



Yield: close to 40 cupcakes
Baking Time: 20 minutes
Temp: 350 degrees

My Prize Winning Chocolate Cake Recipe
(I make b-day cakes with this all the time)

2C. Boiling Water
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1C. Cocoa Powder
1C. Butter at room temp
2 3/4 C. Flour
2 1/4 C. Sugar
2 Tsp. Baking Soda
4 eggs
1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla

In medium bowl mix cocoa with boiling water & whisk until blended. Set aside till cool (I never wait till fully cool). Sift flour, soda, powder & salt - set aside. In a large bowl cream butter & sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla. Alternate adding the flour & cocoa mixture to the creamed eggs & sugar till all is combined. Add to cupcake tins & bake for around 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate Frosting
(If you're not keen on making your own frosting you can go buy some tubs of the pre-made stuff)

1/2 - 3/4 C. Cocoa
16oz. Bag Powdered Sugar
6 Tbs. Soft Butter - NOT margarine
6 Tbs. Milk
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

I cream the butter first then add the cocoa & powdered sugar followed by the milk & vanilla extract.

Cream Filling
1/4 C. Butter
1/4 C. Shortening
2 C. Powdered Sugar
1 pack Dream Whip
3 Tbs. Milk
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Cream butter & crisco. In a seperate bowl combine dream whip with powdered sugar. Slowly mix dry ingredients in with wet. Add milk & vanilla & whip for 1 minute until fluffy.

Assembly
Make sure your cupcakes are cool. Cut a big chunk/hole in the top of each cupcake saving the top part you dig out. Get a pastry bag & fill it with the cream filling. Pipe cream filling into each center & put the top part you cut away back on & push down a little to secure. Frost the cupcakes & then pipe a dollup of cream filling on top of each cupcake. Enjoy!!