hostess cupcakes.

These cupcakes are my absolute favorite and  I am sharing the recipe!  Chocolate cake, cream filled center and chocolate ganache. What's not to love?

Ingredients:
*1&1/2 cups of flour
*3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
*1&1/2 cups of sugar
*1&1/2 tsp baking soda
*1&1/2tsp baking powder
*3/4 tsp of salt
*3 eggs
*3 tbsp of vegetable oil
*1 tsp vanilla extract
*1/2 cup unsalted butter
* 3 tbsp sour cream
*3/4 cup warm water

Combine all dry ingredients together in mixer on low speed.  Add eggs, butter, oil, vanilla, sour cream, and water. Beat until smooth. Bake @350 for about 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool completely and make frosting!

An extra creamy vanilla butter cream:
*Mix 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, 2 tsp of vanilla, and a pinch of salt together with an electric mixer.  Slowly add in approximately 4 cups of powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, add 2 tbsp of flour,  around 3 tbsp of cold milk. You might need to add in more milk or powdered sugar to have your desired consistency.  The icing should still make peaks, but needs to be loose enough to easily flow through a piping bag.

Fill piping bag with frosting and for best results use a wilton #12 tip for filling the cakes.  Gently insert the tip into each cake, squeezing firmly to release frosting, and slowly release as you remove the tip.  Be careful not to insert too much frosting, or the cupcake will burst.  You can also try this method to fill the cakes!

For the chocolate ganache:

Heat 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to a slight boil, pour immediately over 9 oz of semisweet chocolate chips and stir, ganache will need to thicken slighty and cool before dipping the tops of the cupcakes!
After filling all of the cupakes, switch to a wilton #5 tip for piping the classic hostess look.