Best Ever Chocolate Marshmallow-Filled Cupcakes

I love anything chocolate. I found a similar recipe to this one on the internet but after making it last Sunday, I knew it needed some tweaking to make it just perfect. This recipe results in a super moist chocolate cake with an added surprise, chocolate chips. Yum! The marshmallow filling takes it over the top.

Although frosting covers most mistakes, I know what's underneath and love the way these round nicely on the top.

I let them cool in the pan about 10 minutes and then removed them to a cooling rack.

When they are completely cool, I gathered these ingredients to make the marshmallow filling.

This is my second bottle of Mexican vanilla and it's nearly gone. I have a third one waiting in the pantry but you can use regular vanilla extract, NEVER imitation vanilla flavoring.

When the cupcakes are completely cool, you can add the marshmallow filling by scooping out a bit of the cupcake with a small melon baller and putting the filling in a Ziploc® bag with one corner cut out or use my favorite method of putting the filling in a decorating bag fitted with a #230 Bismarck decorating tip.  I like this method better because I can give the bag a lot of pressure and get lots of filling in the cupcake and it makes the cupcake rise a bit. It's o.k. if it seeps out at the top because the frosting will cover this.

The frosting has a very rich chocolate taste and is thick enough that it pipes nicely and keeps its shape.

This was so good. I quickly ate the other half after taking this picture.

Hope you enjoy this recipe. I will definitely make it again and again.

Cupcake:
1¼ cups flour
½ cup baking cocoa
¾ tsp. soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup buttermilk
⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Marshmallow Filling:
½ cup butter
1 cup Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme
1½ cups powdered sugar

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
¾ cup butter, room temperature (1½ sticks)
¾ cup baking cocoa
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3½ cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp. whipping cream, half 'n half, or milk

Cupcake:
Combine flour, baking cocoa, soda, salt and sugar in small bowl. Set aside. In mixing bowl, beat together oil, egg and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk. Beat until well mixed. Fold in chocolate chips.

With #20 ice cream scoop, divide batter among 12 cupcake liners. Bake for 18 minutes at 350º (works well for my elevation in Utah) or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Marshmallow Filling:
Combine butter and marshmallow creme and beat until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar and mix well. With #230 Bismarck tip fill cupcakes with marshmallow mixture.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
Mix baking cocoa and 2 cups powdered sugar in small bowl. Set aside. Beat butter in mixing bowl for 2 minutes. Slowly add cocoa-powdered sugar mixture, vanilla, whipping cream and additional powdered sugar (totaling 3½ cups sugar). Beat until well mixed. Pipe onto cupcakes.

I used an Ateco #825 tip but a Wilton 1M works well too and may be easier to find at JoAnn's or WalMart.