Jessie Oleson, also known as Cakespy, recently upped the ante for filled cupcakes by creating…a cupcake-stuffed cupcake.  I do not kid.  She really made cupcakes that were stuffed with an even smaller cupcake.  We have the picture and the recipe to prove it.

Those cupcakes are full of it...and by it we mean more cupcakes. (photo courtesy of Cakespy and Serious Eats Recipes)

Ingredients:

• 1 batch (18-24) miniature cupcakes, baked, frosted, and chilled in refrigerator for at least an hour
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup (4.5 ounces) cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2-3 cups buttercream frosting
• Sprinkles (optional)

Procedure:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line two muffin tins with standard sized cupcake liners. Remove your chilled mini cupcakes from the fridge. If made using paper liners, remove the liners. Set aside.

2. Combine butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla and beat with wooden spoon until thick and lightened in color, about 5 minutes. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture in four batches, beating with spoon until smooth to incorporate after each addition.

3. Fill cupcake cups no more than halfway full with batter. In each half-filled cup, place one mini cupcake directly in the center. Cover cupcakes with extra batter if desired.

4. Place in the oven with a cookie sheet underneath in case of dripping. Bake until light golden brown (about 25 minutes). The frosting from the mini cupcakes may have melted over the sides a bit, but you should still be able to see if the cake has browned.

5. Remove from oven and let cool. Once fully cooled, top the cupcakes with frosting.

6. If desired, garnish with sprinkles.

As Cakespy likes to say, “I hold this truth to be self-evident: Cupcakes are better when filled.”

(Thanks to SeriousEats.com for originally posting this amazing recipe.)