Better than Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes

For the Cake:

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 cup strong coffee (instant is fine)

6 oz. Semi-sweet baking chocolate, finely chopped

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup sour cream, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350^NF. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Combine sugar, flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Bring coffee to simmer in small, heavy-duty saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk vegetable oil, sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract in another large bowl to blend; add chocolate-coffee mixture. Add one-third of chocolate-sour cream mixture to dry ingredients; whisk to blend well. Add remaining chocolate-sour cream mixture in 2 more additions, whisking well after each addition. Fill each cup ¾ full.

Bake for 20 – 22 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks completely.

For the Filling:

½ cup shortening

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1 cup powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients and beat until light and fluffy.

For the Icing:

2/3 stick butter, softened

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 4 oz.

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 tbs. Milk

2 ¼ cups powdered sugar

Melt the chocolate, In a mixing bowl, combine the butter with the chocolate. Blend in the vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.

Assembly:

Use a toothpick to make a hole in the top of the cupcake. Stick the toothpick into the middle of the cupcake and swirl it around to carve out a cavity. Use a pastry bag or ziplock bag with an end snipped off to fill.

Spread a layer of icing on each cupcake. Use white/butter cream frosting for swiggly line down the center, if desired.