FILLING FOR CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 12-cup muffin tins.
• Sift flour, 2 cups white sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Beat vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into the flour mixture using an electric hand mixer on medium until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Stir baking soda and hot water together in a small bowl; mix into batter. Pour batter into muffin cups to 2/3 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Beat shortening, 1/2 cup white sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl using an electric hand mixer until smooth, 5 to 7 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until fully incorporated, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Insert frosting into cupcakes using a pastry tube fitted with a rosette tip. Frost the tops of cupcakes with remaining frosting.

Steps:

• For the cakes: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the interior of a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a mixer, beat the egg yolks with the oil, .5 cup of the sugar and 2 tablespoons water. With the mixer at low speed, add the cake flour mixture and beat until smooth; set aside.
• In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until stiff and glossy. Mix .25 of the whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites until no streaks remain. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them halfway. Bake until risen and lightly firm, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
• For the filling: Using a mixer, beat together the butter, confectioners' sugar and Marshmallow Fluff. Add cream and beat just until smooth. Fit a pastry bag with a round .25-inch tip, and fill bag with all but .25 cup of the filling. (Put the extra .25 cup in a pastry bag fitted with a .125-inch round tip, or in a small Ziplock bag, and reserve.) Plunge the tip into the side of a cupcake, filling just until you feel the cupcake swell. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
• For the frosting: Heat the cream just until bubbles begin to form on the edges of the pan, add the chocolate and remove from heat. Stir until melted and smooth. Add the butter, stirring to combine. Dip the top of a cupcake into the frosting, flip and set aside. Repeat with remaining cupcakes. Allow frosting to set, about 20 minutes.
• With the small pastry bag of filling, or snipping a tiny corner off the Ziplock bag, pipe a tiny squiggle across the top of each cupcake. Place in an airtight container until serving.