Black Out Cupcake Recipes

CREAM-FILLED BLACKOUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the chocolate cupcakes: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt and mix on low for 30 seconds to combine. Add the oil, melted butter, water, beaten egg and vanilla and mix on low to combine. Scrape the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula and then mix on medium speed for 30 seconds.
• Scrape and fold the batter a few times. Divide the batter into the 12 liners and tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out with moist crumbs, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Before frosting the cupcakes, cover them lightly with plastic wrap and chill them for 1 hour to make handling easier.
• For the fudge frosting and filling: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high until very smooth and shiny, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the cocoa, sugar, condensed milk, vanilla and salt and blend on low until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add in 1 tablespoon of steaming hot water. Scrape the bowl, then raise the mixer to high speed and beat for 1 minute. Turn the mixer to low and mix for 1 to 2 minutes to smooth out the frosting and reduce air bubbles.
• Transfer 1/3 cup of the fudge frosting to a small bowl and stir in the marshmallow creme.
• Use a paring knife or apple corer to remove a 1-inch wide "plug" of cake in the middle of the bottom of each cupcake, cutting about halfway through.
• Place the cream filling into a small resealable plastic bag and snip off the tip. Pipe the filling into the holes cut out of the cupcakes; use the plugs or scraps of the cake you removed to plug the holes back up.
• Frost the filled cupcakes with the remaining frosting and top with mini chocolate chips if desired. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

BLACK VELVET CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
• Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk, oil, sour cream, egg, espresso powder and vanilla in another large bowl.
• Add the flour mixture to the buttermilk mixture and whisk until just incorporated. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
• For the frosting: Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Spread the frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes then dust with a little black cocoa powder.

CHOCOLATE BLACKOUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and eggs. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make pudding mix as directed on box, using 1 1/2 cups milk. While pudding is hot, stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips until melted. Cover; refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour.
• Place remaining 2 cups chocolate chips in heatproof bowl. In 1-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream to boiling. Pour over chocolate chips; let stand 1 minute. Stir with whisk until melted and smooth. Let ganache stand at room temperature 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
• Crumble 1 cupcake; set aside for topping. With end of wooden spoon handle, make deep, 3/4-inch-wide indentation in center of top of remaining 23 cupcakes, not quite to bottom. Spoon pudding into resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut 1/2-inch tip off corner of bag. Insert tip of bag into opening in each cupcake; squeeze bag to fill opening. Frost cupcakes with ganache; sprinkle with cupcake crumbs. Store loosely covered.

BROOKLYN BLACKOUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the filling and frosting: place the pudding mix and milk in a 2-qt saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, 4-5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
• Add the chocolate chips, butter, and vanilla and stir until the chips and butter melts, 2 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and cover the pudding with plastic wrap placed directly on its surface. Let cool for 45 minutes at room temperature.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F Line 24 cupcake wells with paper liners.
• Make the batter: place the cake mix, cocoa powder, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds.
• Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more. Batter will be thick.
• Scoop 1/4 cup batter into each cupcake well~you should get 24.
• Bake for 17-20 minutes, until tops are springy when lightly pressed. Cool in the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes.
• Remove 4 cupcakes from the pans and crumble them into a bowl, making coarse crumbs.
• Loosen the remaining cupcakes from the pans and cool them on wire racks for 15 minutes.
• Divide the pudding mixture into 2 portions. Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip and spoon 1 cup of the filling into the bag. Gently push the tip into the center of each cupcake and squirt a generous amount of pudding inside. Refill the bag as needed and repeat for all 20 cakes.
• Place a heaping tablespoons of the remaining pudding portion on the top of each cupcake and spread to cover the entire surface. Top the frosting with a sprinkling of cupcake crumbs, pressing down slightly so they stick.
• Store uneaten cupcakes covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.