Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients: 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: 1/2 cup butter, softened 2 cups confectioners' sugar 3 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch salt Directions: 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, confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla and salt; beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Insert a decorating tip into a pastry or plastic bag; fill with cream filling. Push the tip through the top of each cupcake to fill. 3. Frost tops with chocolate frosting or glaze, and pipe a white squiggly line on top. Satiny Chocolate Glaze 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips 3 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions: In a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water, combine chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, then add vanilla. Spread warm glaze over top of cup cakes. Variation from above recipe: In the filling, I used all butter instead of shortening, and I used canola oil in the cupcakes. I glazed them with Satiny Chocolate Glaze and used the leftover white filling to make the squiggle thingy on top. *PLEASE NOTE: I did not write these directions- this is copied with permission from one of the cooking blogs that I visit often -- check out Dishing With Dish at http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/