Cream Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

frosted cupcake cut open to show filling

Moist chocolate cupcakes filled with homemade vanilla cream and topped with a simple chocolate frosting, the perfect treat with a cold glass of milk.

Course: Dessert

Keyword: Chocolate, Cupcakes

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 342kcal

Author: Katie

Equipment

Two 12-cup muffin tins
Cupcake liners (24)
Mixing Bowls (large and medium)
Electric Mixer (stand mixer or hand mixer)
Measuring cups and spoons
Wire cooling rack
Piping bag with a small star tip (or a plastic bag with the tip cut off)

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
⅓ cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Cream Filling

1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt

Chocolate Frosting

½ cup butter (melted)
⅔ cup baking cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
⅓ cup of milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Instructions

Make the cupcakes

Prep the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the wet ingredients. Add eggs, milk, vegetable oil, water, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Beat at low speed for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to medium and beat until the mixture is smooth and fully combined (about 2 minutes). Then, scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Fill the cupcake liners. Fill the prepared cupcake liners ¾ full with the batter.
Bake. Bake for 17–20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through for even baking. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes clean.
Cool. Remove cupcakes from the tins and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before adding the filling.

Make the filling

Mix the ingredients. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and shortening on low speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until fluffy (about 3–5 minutes).
Prepare the piping bag. Fit a piping bag with a small star tip (about size #16 or #18). Fill the bag with the cream filling.
Fill the cupcakes. Insert the piping tip into the center of each cooled cupcake. Then, squeeze the piping bag for about 5 seconds to fill each cupcake.
Tip: If it’s hard to pierce the cupcake, use a toothpick to create a small hole first. Cut one cupcake open to check the filling amount, then adjust the filling for the rest.
Wipe the bottoms of the cupcakes to remove any excess filling.

Make the frosting

Combine the butter and cocoa. In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter and sifted cocoa powder, stirring until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar and milk. Add powdered sugar and milk, beating on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla. Mix in the vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated.
Adjust the consistency. If the frosting is too thick, add more milk, one teaspoon at a time, until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
Frost the cupcakes. Use a spatula or piping bag to frost the filled cupcakes generously. Any leftover frosting can be stored for future use.

Notes

Before baking, let your eggs, milk, and butter warm up to room temperature. This helps them mix better and makes your cupcakes more consistent in texture. Using cold ingredients might make your batter lumpy and heavy.

When you mix the wet and dry ingredients, stop when the batter looks smooth and everything is mixed. Mixing too much can make your cupcakes hard and heavy, so try not to overdo it.

If you’re making chocolate cupcakes and the recipe asks for water, use hot water. It makes the cocoa powder taste stronger and richer, which means tastier cupcakes.

Always use cupcake liners to avoid the batter sticking to the pans.

If you find filling the cupcakes through the paper liner hard, make a few holes in it with a toothpick first.

If you can, put the cupcakes in the freezer for a0-15 minutes before filling them. This makes the cake a bit firmer and easier to fill without breaking.

If the cream filling is too thick, warm it up by holding the piping bag in your hands. This makes it softer and easier to pipe into the cupcakes.

These cupcakes taste great even without the cream filling, in case you want something simpler.

For something extra, add shaved chocolate, a dusting of cocoa powder, or chocolate sprinkles on top of the frosting for more texture and decoration.

You’ll probably have more frosting than you need. Keep it for another dessert, or freeze it. It can be frozen for up to a month and is handy for a quick dessert fix!

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