You Asked For It

Due to overwhelming response (all three of you), I'll give you the cupcake recipe first.
For those lucky enough to be an owner of The Lystrup Family Cookbook (don't you just love that book?), the cupcake recipe is on page 234, under the name Karen's Wedding Cake. That's a small picture of Karen's wedding cake. Ignore the slight lean, please.

For the other three of you that read this blog who don't have a Family Cookbook, here's the starting point for the cupcakes.

Cupcakes

1 box chocolate cake mix (I used Devil's Food this time)

4 oz instant chocolate pudding (except they are no longer 4 oz. They've cut the size to keep you thinking they aren't charging more for their product)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup oil

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

12 oz chocolate chips (this was omitted for the cupcakes)

Mix all ingredients together. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until tested with a toothpick and it comes out clean.

That's your basic delicious cake or cupcake. Now let's get to the really good stuff!

Chocolate Cream Filling

1 tsp unflavored gelatin (Knox)

1 T. cold water

2 T. boiling water

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

Mix the gelatin and cold water together to soften gelatin. While that's getting soft, put some water in the microwave and bring it to a boil. Measure out 2 T boiling water and add it to the gelatin. Let that cool for a few minutes while finishing the cream filling.

In the bowl of a standing mixer (or not, if you don't have one) add the sugar, cocoa, cream and vanilla. Beat it until medium peaks form. Add cooled gelatin; chill mixture for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Frosting

1 cup chocolate chips (or other chocolate if you're a true food snob, which I'm not)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup powdered sugar (or enough to make the frosting the desired consistency)

peppermint extract to taste (I have peppermint oil which is super strength and only used 2 drops. Peppermint extract is less intense, so just go easy with it until you add enough to get it just right).

Heat chocolate in the microwave for one minute. Stir gently. If the chocolate hasn't completely melted, put it back in for 30 seconds and stir again. It's probably hot enough now to melt all the way if you're patient and just keep stirring. Put the chocolate in your mixing bowl with the powdered sugar. Slowly add the cream. Whip until chocolate mixture holds its shape. Add peppermint flavoring.

Now comes the fun. I have a decorating tip that is long and skinny and I can push it right down into the cupcake and squirt a blob of filling into the cupcake. If you don't have such a thing, you can trim out a cone-shaped piece from the top of the cupcake and spoon some filling into the cupcake, trim off the cylindrical part of the cone and just top the cupcake with the lid of what you cut off. Does that make sense? Now you can pop that unused part of cupcake into your mouth or feed it to your loved one. Then frost the cupcake with some frosting and sprinkle crushed candy canes on top. These babies stay so moist from the filling that they are still super good several days later. I think. I didn't actually have any left over several days later because I ate them all, so I'm only guessing.