Happy Halloween!

Here is a little tip:  When your little sister says she'll hold your candy...............she won't

So sharing with you today my Ding Dong Cupcakes that I am lugging into work for my co-workers to devour. Best way I know to keep to a diet, take it to work.

In hindsight, I probably should have just done a chocolate buttercream. I started running out of the Ganache so needed to apply it sparingly, and I think just a nice ganche layer with the buttercream would have worked better..alas hindsight is foresight and since I can't go back and it's way too late to start over, these will just have to do.

So for anyone who is interested here are the recipes I used.

Chocolate Cake - Warning this makes 36 cupcakes so if you don't want that many cut the recipe in half and just use 2 small eggs or you can use 2 10 inch cake pans (bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour)

3 ounces fine-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (I used Guittard, love this chocolate)

1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process. I buy mine from King Arthur. They have a dbl dark chocolate and if you love chocolate this mix is divine)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F (If you have an oven thermometer this is a great way to check the temp, if not make sure the oven is well heated at least 15 - 20 minutes

Prep your pans either with liners or grease them.

Place chocolate in a small bowl and combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix in Sugar

In another large mixing bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add in oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well.

You can either use a muffin scoop (king arthur) or just fill 2/3 way full and bake 18-22 minutes and when toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Marshmallow Frosting
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Combine frosting ingredients with a pinch of salt in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and beat with a handheld electric mixer at high speed (or whip by hand) until frosting is thick and fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat with hand mixer or transfer bowl to use a standing mixer until cooled, thick and white. Use frosting the day it is made. It will hold for 1-2 days later but it really starts to lose its oomph each day.

Chocolate Ganache
16 oz Bittersweet Chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), I used Guittard
1 C Whipping Cream

Place chocolate in a bowl. Bring cream just to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour over chocolate and let stand 1 minute; stir until smooth. Cool ganache to room temperature stirring often, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Beat mixture on medium-high speed until color becomes paler light and fluffy; 12 to 14 minutes

To assemble cupcakes, core center using apple corer or cupcake corer or even a knife to cut the center away (save the tops to put back on or eat them or make a mini trifle from them), fill with Marshmallow frosting, pipe or frost whipped Chocolate Ganache and garnish as you please. Alternatively you can cut the ganache recipe in half, and after it cools to room temp, dip the tops of the cupcakes in it, allow to cool and then frost with Marshmallow frosting. Either way is yummy.