Cream-Filled Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for the school carnival cake walk this weekend. Ellie helped me with every step especially licking the bowls clean!

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract

FILLING:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Store bought chocolate frosting or I just used the recipe on the label of my cocoa container.


DIRECTIONS:
For cake batter, first mix the dry ingredients and then add the eggs, milk, oil, water, and vanilla. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

For the filling, combine butter, shortening, confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla and salt; beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Insert a very small tip into a pastry bag; fill with cream filling. Use the end of the wooden spoon to help make a hole in the center of each cupcake and then fill use the pastry bag to fill each cupcake with the cream filling. Frost tops with chocolate frosting. Yield: 2 1/2 to 3 dozen