Stuffed & Topped Chocolate Cupcakes

Baked some chocolate POW cupcakes!  Devils Food Cake cupcakes, stuffed with homemade Ding Dong Creme and topped with rich chocolate frosting!  The flourishes include crushed maple cookies, crushed Skor bars, chocolate sprinkles and white micro dragee beads.

If I had Oreos, you can bet those would have been on top too!!

If you're inspired, here's the recipe for the chocolate frosting:

Chocolate Frosting

The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

Makes 4 cups of Frosting (enough for a sheet cake or 2-layer cake)

10 oz chocolate, chopped fine (use good quality dark)

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Place the chocolate in a food processor.  Bring the cream, corn syrup, and salt to a boil in  a liquid measuring cup in the microwave.  Stir the mixture to combine.
2. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and process until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to process until combined, about 30 seconds.  With the machine running, add the softened butter, one piece at a time, through the feed tube.  Continue to process until the frosting is smooth and no butter chunks remain, about 2 minutes.
4. Transfer the frosting to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thick and spreadable, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

(Keeps for 3 days.  Let stand at room temp for approx. 2 hours then whip with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 2-5 minutes.)

And here's the recipe for the Ding Dong Creme filling:

1 jar (7oz) marshmallow fluff

12 Tbsn softened butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

3 Tbsn heavy whipping cream

Using a mixer, combine all of the ingredients until fluffy.