Devil's Food Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Filling

It is 31 March. I survived. Well, just barely.

This has been a very long week, with some seriously hard yards put in. However, I have emerged from it a little older, a little wiser, and with a good amount of time in lieu to add to the tab - I'm going to need all the leave I can get this year with my PAS exams in October. 

But the madness is (mostly) behind me, aside from the last of the loose ends to tidy up on Monday. I feel a million times better after catching up on some much needed rest today (I didn't wake up until 2pm!). With the amazing weather we have had this weekend it seems a shame to spend it in bed. But honestly, I can't imagine a more perfect day right now.

But for some stupid reason I can't quite let go. My 2pm sleep in was studded with dreams about tax returns. I kid you not. Who the hell dreams about tax returns!

I made these cupcakes once for a work morning tea. That was a mistake. Now every time I'm up for making morning tea, I am inundated with requests for these cupcakes. People have even offered to pay me to make them for their own morning tea shouts! 

So when my friend Pixie asked if I could help her make some cupcakes for her sister's hens weekend, I said I knew just the recipe.

These chocolatey, cream-filled babies are topped with a light and creamy chocolate buttercream icing. These are dangerously decadent, always go down well. 

Devil's Food Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Filling (makes approximately 24 cupcakes)

This amazing recipe was originally from the Kitchen Wench, who has unfortunately stopped posting in recent times.

For the cupcakes

140g good quality dark chocolate, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
4 large eggs
120g unsalted butter, diced and at room temperature
360g caster sugar 2 cups cake flour (which you can make by putting 2T cornflour in the bottom of your cup measure, and filling up with all-purpose flour – 2T cornflour for every cup of flour)
1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp baking soda

For the sugar syrup
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup water

For the cream filling
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 vanilla pod or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp caster sugar

For the chocolate buttercream icing

250g softened butter,
60g dark chocolate, melted
3 tbsp cocoa powder
6 tbsp milk
6 cups icing sugar

Start by preheating the oven to 180 C. Put the chocolate in a bowl over a simmering pot of water, and stir until melted. Add the vanilla, cocoa powder and buttermilk, and mix together until everything is completely incorporated.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Once the mixture is fluffy and pale golden, beat in the buttermilk-chocolate mixture and the flour until just combined. The mixture should have the texture of barely whipped cream.

Fill your cupcake cases 1/3 full and bake for 15 minutes, or till a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out with moist (but not wet) crumbs.

While the cupcakes are in the oven, put the sugar syrup ingredients in a pot and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly. Using a pastry brush, give the cupcakes a good brush-over as they come out of the oven. This will help the cupcakes last for another day or two, and will keep them deliciously moist.

To make the cream filling, beat the cream, vanilla, and sugar to soft peaks. Once the cupcakes are completely cold, using a piping bag with a thin nozzle, fill the cupcakes with cream by pushing the tip right to the bottom of the cupcake and slowly fill the cupcake while pulling the tip up.

Now the last step is to make the buttercream icing. Beat the butter till light and fluffy, then add the melted chocolate paste and 2 cups of icing sugar and beat at high speed till it is well mixed in and fluffy again.

Add the icing sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating the icing well at a high speed for after each addition. Stop when the icing is to your desired consistency.

Using a piping bag with a wide nozzle, pipe the icing onto the cupcakes. Top with almonds, little flowers, cherries, or anything else you like.