Chocolaty Chocolaty Chocolate Cupcakes - Thinking outside the box

We made these for a community picnic and cupcake competition. I'm not so big on cake but was determined to make something delicious. I did not want to go to the store, so I looked at various recipes and used what I had in the pantry. I am usually a slave to recipes and tried to relax with this one. With as much fat and sugar in these how could I go wrong. I'm adding this so as not to forget what worked.

Chocolate overload cupcakes

1 box devils food cake mix

4 eggs

2 sticks melted butter (in stead of oil)

1 cup milk

1 cup melted milk chocolate mixed with 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate and 2Tablespoons melted butter (my version of ganache without cream)

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (chopped, they are a little big)

Hershey's chocolate, shaved for decoration.

Meringue Buttercream icing and filling

1/4 cup warm water

2 rounded Tablespoons meringue powder

3 sticks of butter at room temperature (65 degrees)

1 1/2 lb powdered sugar (more or less to the texture you want)

3 tsp clear vanilla (until you can take it)

2 dashes or up to 1/8 tsp salt (again to taste)

To begin add eggs, melted butter and milk to the cake mix. I used Pillsbury Moist Supreme, because that is what was in my pantry. Mix well. Meanwhile melt the milk chocolate with the butter and stir until smooth. Add this to the cake mixture and mix to make the batter extra rich. Next add the chocolate chunks. NOTE: I used what I had on hand, normally you would add cream to the melted chocolate. Use whatever you prefer. I like the mix of the bitter, sweet and bittersweet chocolates. Bake according to package instructions, about 18 minutes at 350 degrees.

For frosting, being beating the meringue powder with the water until it is light fluffy. Add the room temperature butter and beat well, until is is nice and fluffy. Add the extracts and the salt. Add powdered sugar about one cup at a time or until it gets to the texture and taste you prefer. You don't want cement, but you don't want it to be too thin that it doesn't hold a shape.

After the cupcakes are baked and cool, pipe about 2 Tablespoons icing into the center of each cupcake. This provides a nice relief from all the chocolate. I know there is enough icing when the top of the cupcake puffs up ever so slightly. I used a tip from a cupcake kit, to fill - Wilton 230. For ease of clean-up I shoved it into a zip lock bag.

We made the swirl design using a large round tip, the Ateco 808.

Chocolate cupcakes with a fluffy frosting center.

Easy way to fill cupcakes.

The center is like a hostess cupcake, but much much better.

So all you have to do to improve a cake mix is add a ton of fat, extra chocolate and you're good to go. Other people suggest adding sour cream or pudding packets. I didn't have these on hand so I just had to make due. For high-altitude - good luck. This rose, but did not fall. I know how hard it is to make perfect cupcakes in the mountains.