Shelly's Recipe

SURPRISE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH MASCARPONE CHEESE

Category: Cakes

Filling:
8 oz mascarpone cheese, softened
1/2 cup sUgar
1 cup peanut butter chips

Cupcakes:
1 box dark chocolate or devilsfood cake mix
Ingredients listed for mix

Frosting*:
4 oz semisweet chocolate bar, broken into chunks
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp sour cream
Purchased white frosting with decorating tip

For filling, in a medium bowl, combine mascarpone cheese and sugar. Stir in chips. Set aside.

For cupcakes, preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 medium muffin pans with paper liners. Follow directions on cake mix pkg. Fill each muffin liner 2/3 full. Drop heaping tsp of filling on top center of each cupcake. Bake according to cupcake directions on mix pkg, usually 23-25 minutes. (The batter will cover the mascarpone filling during baking.) Remove from oven. Allow cupcakes to sit in pans 2 minutes. Remove cupcakes to rack and cool completely.

For frosting, place chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cook at high power 1 minute. Stir; continue cooking at high power 30 seconds. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Immediately stir sour cream gradually into melted chocolate, mixing until smooth. Immediately spread over completely cooled cupcakes*; let stand until chocolate is set, about 15 minutes. Using white frosting with drawing tip, form squiggles across the cupcake frosting.

Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days.

*If icing becomes too stiff, microwave at high power 5 seconds to soften.