Chocolate Yum!

These are so good that I must share. The cake is moist and dense and the cream filling is so yummy. They're not much to look at -- fortunately they taste about ten times better than they look. They would be great at a bake sale!



Cream Filled Cupcakes

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FILLING
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil, water and vanilla. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine butter, shortening, confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla and salt; beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Insert a very small tip into a pastry or plastic bag; fill with cream filling. Push the tip through the bottom of paper liner to fill each cupcake.
3. Frost tops with any chocolate frosting.

NOTE: My cupcake liners did not allow *pushing* the tip through, so I made a tiny slit with a knife.