When I was little and my mom took us shopping, her biggest fear was that I would walk right into a clothing rack, the ones that look like X’s, and poke my eye out. Well, I managed to avoid that when I was younger, however, the other day at the gym, I walked DIRECTLY into a weight bar at the gym! SMASH…right against my forehead, it jiggled my brain all up. Luckily I did not get a large bruise on my forehead! But I see where my mom was coming from all those years, I completely zone out sometimes when I feel “confident” in a situation. Now, I don’t feel “confident” in the weight part of my gym with all the big guys pumping mad iron as I lift my 12 lbs but I guess all the endorphins from working out made me focus on exercising, not magically appearing bars. Because yes, it did appear out of no where. 
Another thing my mom was right about? Making these cupcakes. I planned on using Pioneer Woman’s Chocolate Cake Recipe, dipping the tops in the glaze (Hostess style) and the adding some buttercream on top. Well, Mama Green decided that it would be better to FILL the cupcakes with the glaze!!! Best idea ever!!!!!
When the cupcakes were done in the oven, I transferred them to a cooling rack and allowed them to cool slightly before using my cupcakes filler tip to pipe glaze inside warm cupcakes. The glaze soaks into the cake but does not disappear! It makes the middle moist beyond belief.
Then, I added 1/2 cup of the glaze to the buttercream I was making along with 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder. This buttercream it the sickest thing in the world. We still have some left over and I keep dipping pretzels into it…good decisions. There is also some grated milk chocolate on top to make the cupcakes look pretty and because there’s always room for more chocolate Excuse me, I’m going to go finish the leftovers.
Recipe: I Dream Of Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes
Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients:
2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
4 heaping Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
½ cups Buttermilk
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into lined a cupcake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 15-18 minutes.
Glaze Filling
Ingredients:
1-¾ stick Butter
4 heaping Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound Powdered Sugar
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Allow to cool slightly then pour into a piping bag fitted with a cupcake filling tip. Set aside. If making the chocolate buttercream, reserve about 1/2 cup of glaze for the buttercream.
Chocolate Buttercream
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter (super soft!!!)
8 cup powdered sugar, divided
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup Glaze (above)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, divided
Beat butter until smooth. Add in 4 cups of powdered sugar and mix. Then mix in milk and vanilla. Add in the remaining powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Then mix in the glaze and 1/4 cup of cocoa powder. Beat and then taste, if it needs more chocolate, add more cocoa in. Cocoa powder will thicken the buttercream a lot, add more milk (if necessary). Beat at high speed until airy. Place in a piping bag to pipe or store in fridge. Buttercream will harden in the fridge so leave on counter before using. Can freeze for up to 6 months.
*Tip: If you don’t plan on making the glaze and just want chocolate buttercream add in cocoa powder to taste.
Assembling
Bake cupcakes. While the cupcakes are making make the glaze filling. Once cupcakes have cooled slightly, pipe the glaze inside each cupcake. The cake will absorb some glaze so I went back and added more to each. Then make the chocolate buttercream. Wait for cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. Enjoy!!!
Chocolate Cake and Glaze recipe from Pioneer Woman
