Chocolate Friday: Cream-filled Muffins

I wasn't sure whether to call these muffins or cupcakes.  Muffcakes!  That's the ticket.  Well, whatever you call them, they're scrumptious.  Highly decadent. If you like the combination of chocolate and Bailey's Irish Cream, you'll love these. 

I started with a chocolate layer cake recipe found here.  The cream filling started as the Irish Chocolate Cake filling.  And of course, I modified both to suit my preference for putting cream cheese in everything.  Heh.

I do have a question, in case anybody has the answer.  What's the deal with adding eggs one at a time and beating well in between? (See destructions below, which is exactly how it was written on the cake recipe I stole.) Is there a good logical reason for this?  I got really irritated with this after about the 3rd egg, and just tossed them all in together. 

I thought, hey, maybe this is kinda like that story about Great Granny's Famous Pot Roast.  You know that story where the recipe has been handed down for generations, and the first item is: "cut the ends off the roast".  Finally somebody thinks to go ask Great Granny what that's about, and she says it was because her roasting pan was too small for the hunk of meat.

Well, maybe the person who originated this cake recipe had a really REALLY shallow bowl, and had to add the eggs one at a time to prevent major spatter.  Heh. So, rather than just follow this one blindly, I'm asking --  Is there a good reason to put eggs in one at a time and beat well between each one? 

Cream-filled Chocolate Muffcakes
1 1/2 cup softened butter
1 2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup softened cream cheese
6 eggs
2 2/3 cup flour
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350°.  Cream together butter, cream cheese and sugar.  Add one egg at a time, mixing well between each egg.  Mix in flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and vanilla extract.  Add 1/2 cup boiling water and mix well.  Pour batter into greased muffin tins (the large kind, the bigger the muffin, the more space for filling).  Bake at 350° 30-40 minutes until set (a toothpick will come out of the center clean).

Allow the muffins to cool.  When cool, make a well in the muffin for the cream filling.  Using a sharp knife, cut down into the center of the muffin almost to the bottom but not quite.  Scoop out the insides with a fork.  Use a large spoon to fill the center with the cream filling below. 

(Cook's privilege -- eat muffin centers, dipped in the filling.)

Cream Filling
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tbsp Irish Cream Liqueur
1/4 - 1/2 cup softened cream cheese

Mix ingredients together in a bowl until creamy.  I used pre-whipped cream cheese, so if you use regular cream cheese, you may want to use a little more or less depending on your taste.  The mixture should be thick, not soupy, more like a pudding texture. 

Top with a marascino cherry and serve with a good, rich coffee.  Mmmmmm, delishyummygood! 

Enjoy!

Comments

[Katy]

I have a few questions:
Do they have to be refrigerated because of the filling?
How long will they keep refrigerated and unrefrigerated?
Will the filling make the "muffcakes" soggy if not eaten within a day?

I can't wait to try them!

[Nic]

The eggs are added one at a time because it is easier to see that they are fully incorporated that way. A chunk of scrambled egg in a muffin just isn't that appealing.

These muffins, however, look absolutely amazing!

[Clara]

My grandmother used to make a variation of these that she called butterfly cupcakes -- the steps are essentially the same, but she would cut the removed center portion in half and arrange it on top of the cream in the shape of wings and then sprinkle it with powdered sugar. Lovely and delicious!

[Kat]

Just catching up after being away. I am going to make these as they look and sound scrump!

[Richmond]

Oh that looks FABULOUS!

[David]

Gee, I just knew I didn't have to mention "American Chocolate Week" to you... :-) EVERY week is American Chocolate Week at MC&AT, eh?

*VBG*

Nothing really big for Carnival submission tomorrow. Just a snack-turned-meal that made a hit with folks home for Spring Break.

[Alicat]

How cute!! I Love them. Muffcakes is such a cool name too..lol!