Surprise Chocolate Cupcakes with Wisconsin Mascarpone Cheese

Servings: 24 cakes

Filling
8 ounces Mascarpone cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter chips

Cupcakes
1 box dark chocolate or devil's food cake mix
Ingredients listed for mix

Frosting*
4 ounces semisweet chocolate bar, broken into chunks
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sour cream
Purchased white frosting with decorating tip

For filling, in a medium bowl, combine mascarpone cheese and sugar. Stir in chips. Set aside.

For cupcakes, preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 medium muffin pans with paper liners. Follow directions on cake mix package. Fill each muffin liner 2/3 full. Drop heaping teaspoon of filling on top center of each cupcake. Bake according to cupcake directions on mix package, usually 23-25 minutes. (The batter will cover the mascarpone filling during baking.) Remove from oven. Allow cupcakes to sit in pans 2 minutes. Remove cupcakes to rack and cool completely.

For frosting, place chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cook at high power 1 minute. Stir; continue cooking at high power 30 seconds. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Immediately stir sour cream gradually into melted chocolate, mixing until smooth. Immediately spread over completely cooled cupcakes*; let stand until chocolate is set, about 15 minutes. Using white frosting with drawing tip, form squiggles across the cupcake frosting.

Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days.

*If icing becomes too stiff, microwave at high power 5 seconds to soften.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.