Chocolate-Topped Gingerbread Cupcakes with Marshmallow Creme Filling

Ingredients

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease or line a standard 12-cup muffin tin and set it aside. Prepare the Gingerbread Cake batter according to the recipe instructions, through instruction #3. Fill the cups of the muffin tin about 2/3 of the way full, and smooth the tops with wet fingers.

• Place the muffin tin in the center of the preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a middle muffin comes out with, at most, a few moist crumbs attached, about 19 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

• While the cupcakes are cooling, make the filling. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place 1/2 cup shortening and mix on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the marshmallow fluff, and mix again until well blended. Add the confectioner’s sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and mix until well blended. Add milk or cream by the tablespoon to thin the frosting, mixing well after each addition, until the mixture is very thickly pourable. Set the filling aside.

• To make the chocolate topping, place the 5 ounces of chopped chocolate and the remaining 3 tablespoons shortening in a small, microwave safe bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave and cook for 45 seconds on 70% power. Remove from the microwave and stir. Return to the microwave again for 45 seconds on 70% power. Remove and stir until all of the chocolate is nearly melted. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and stir to combine. Set the chocolate aside to thicken a bit.

• When the cupcakes are completely cool, place the filling in a pastry bag fitted with a Bismarck pastry tip or another long-nosed tip. With a toothpick, poke 3 holes in the bottom of the first cupcake, and jiggle the toothpick around in each hole to make space for filling. Place the pastry tip inside each hole, and fill until the filling begins to seep out of the hole. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

• Once the chocolate topping has thickened a bit, place the first cupcake head first into the bowl of melted chocolate and bob it in and out 3 times, then twirl the cupcake a bit while it is still upside down to ensure that the chocolate doesn’t drip down the side of the cupcake. Place the cupcake right side up on a piece of parchment paper to set. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. Allow the chocolate-topped cupcakes to sit at room temperature until set before serving.