1st Giant Surprise-filled Cupcake {for Mom}!

If you don't already have one, you've seen these Giant Cupcake molds right?  Well my dad got me one for Christmas and I haven't been able to use it until last week.  I wanted to make my mom a GIANT Cupcake to celebrate her birthday.  I was really nervous that I would totally mess it up.  I didn't mess it up, however, next time I might do a couple things different on everything (cake, frosting, filling)...and maybe pay attention to the directions a little better! :)

Not only was it my first try at using the Giant Cupcake mold, I also used our BRAND NEW KITCHENAID MIXER that my grandparents got us for Christmas for the first time (crazy, I know!), I made this yummy homemade buttercream frosting from Liz at Hoosier Homemade, and I also tried out this Surprise filling for cupcakes recipe from Erin at Honey Nougats.  Erin made these cupcakes for our church group last year and I fell in love!  So thank you Erin for inspiring me to use this in the GIANT Cupcake, and thank you Liz for helping me make buttercream frosting!!  Not only did I make the Giant Cupcake, I also made regular sized Surprise Cupcakes and froze half of them for later use.

Ingredients:
For the cake: (2) Milk Chocolate boxed cake mixes (2 = 1 for cupcakes, 1 for GIANT cupcake), plus the ingredients to make the cake. 

For the Surprise Cream Cheese Cupcake filling:

• 8oz Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips

For the Buttercream Frosting:

• 2 sticks or 1 cup of Real Butter, soften to room temp.
• 4 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
• 1-2 tbsp Vanilla Extract
• 2-4 tbsp Milk
• Food Coloring of choice (optional)

Directions: (sorry kind of long, hopefully not too confusing)

1. Preheat oven as directed on back of cake mix box. Grease the bottom mold and top mold of GIANT Cupcake with cooking spray as directed in the BigTop Cupcake instructions (this is a must or your cake will stick!).  Line cupcake pan with regular sized cupcake liners.
2. Mix cake mixes together as directed (I just did both at the same time, much easier).
3. The BigTop Cupcake mold takes a total of 4 cups of cake batter.  Fill the bottom mold up to the 2nd line (or 2.5 cups), and fill the top mold with 1.5 cups of batter.  Use the remaining batter to fill the regular sized cupcake liners about 2/3 full.
4. To make the Surprise Filling: beat cream cheese, egg, sugar and salt until light in fluffy. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Take some of the filling (maybe 1/4-1/2 cup, I can't remember exactly how much I used) and put into the bottom of the BigTop Cupcake mold.  Set the bottom and top molds into separate circle cake pans (they are done at different times, so it makes it easier to take out of the oven).  Bake as directed in the BigTop Cupcake directions say (I think the bottom is 45 min, and the top 50 min).
6. While BigTop Cupcake is baking, fill your regular sized cupcakes with remaining Surprise filling, just a little dollop in each.  Bake as directed on cake mix box after the BigTop cupcake is finished.  Let cool and frost as desired.
7. Take out BigTop cupcake when its finished, let cool completely.  The cake should slide right out of the molds once its cool.  You will need to "shave" some off of each mold so they will lay evenly when you stack them. 
8. To make buttercream frosting: whip soften butter until creamy.  In a separate bowl add powdered sugar and sift it together with your whisk.  Slowly add in powdered sugar, and alternate with milk and vanilla.  Beat well.  Add in your food coloring of choice (I chose a few drops of Red to make Pink!).
9. Spread frosting over top of bottom cake and then stack the top onto the bottom.  This will make your Giant Cupcake!  Frost your BigTop Cupcake as desired!!
10. When you're ready, cut right into your Giant Cupcake...your guests will LOVE the surprise filling at the bottom!!



KitchenAid Mixer getting after it!

 

Bottom mold, fill to 2nd line (or 2.5 cups batter)



Fill top with 1.5 cups batter



Surprise filling ready to be added

 



Surprise filling in the bottom mold, ready to be baked





Surprise cupcakes waiting to be baked

 



Whipping up the butter for the Buttercream Frosting



Sifting Powder Sugar with whisk

 



After adding the Red food coloring to make Pink frosting!





Bottom of cake cooled, and evening top part out

 



Frost top of the bottom cake so the top will stick





Add the top

  



Viola...all finished!!!  Ready to eat!
Not as pretty as I wanted it to be, but still turned out pretty tasty!

 

Some tips and thoughts for next time...

1. Remember to add the surprise filling before putting cakes into oven!! Yes I totally did that, and realized about 1 minute into that I needed to add it. Out came the cakes, added the filling, and back into the oven! I don't think it hurt anything though!
2. Follow the BigTop Cupcake directions and re-read them to be sure you are reading it correctly!! Yes, that was me; after thinking it said the top would be done first, I then realized it said the bottom would be done first, so back went the top of the cupcake for 5-10 min longer!!  I think the bottom was done 45-50 min, and the top 50-55 (top should bake a little longer than the bottom).
3. Don't add the surprise filling into the cupcakes until they are ready to bake!!  I went ahead and put a dollop into the cupcakes right away, the filling sunk to the bottom.  It's not a big deal, doesn't ruin them, however the filling should be in the center!  The BigTop cupcake comes with a filling insert, but I wouldn't use it with this type of filling.  Check with toothpick to be sure they are done!
4. If you make your Buttercream frosting while everything is baking, put into refrigerator!!  I did put mine into the fridge, but not for the whole time.  By the time I was ready to put it into my decorator bag, it was warm and thin, so I wasn't able to make everything look pretty like Liz does!  Plus when you're squeezing the frosting in the bag, it will warm it up even more.



Yummy Surprised-filled Cupcake (with no frosting)!!



UPDATE...I said above that I froze the extra cupcakes for a later use...check them out at my Grandma's 80th birthday party! They tasted just as great as the day they came out of the oven!


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