With 27 grandchildren, monthly family birthday celebrations leave me rethinking traditional cake and ice cream. I recently had a delicious store purchase of Sanders-style double bumpy topped and cream filled chocolate cupcake. Do you have a recipe for the cream filling and chocolate frosting?

Can you give me a tip on how I would fill the center of the cupcake while keeping it intact?

I don't mind the preparation time in making cupcakes. Serving would be easier and each child could blow out their own candle along with the birthday child. Thanks for your help.

- Beth Lemon

Wow! Grandma Lemon, you are one busy woman and a lucky person to have so many grandchildren. Actually, it sounds like the grandchildren are lucky to have you as a grandmother.

The original Sanders bumpy cake is a chocolate sheet cake with long tube-like "bumps" of cream filling on top of the cake which is then frosted with a chocolate ganache. When the Sanders stores were still in this area my girlfriend and I would treat each other to a piece of that cake on special occasions (or just when we needed a chocolate fix). YUM!!

If you want to fill the cupcakes in addition to adding bumps you will need to add one more step and here's how.

To fill a cupcake use a wide star tip (#21) attached to a coupler on a piping/pastry bag. Push the tip into the top of the baked cupcake and press about 1 tablespoon of frosting inside the cupcake. If you are not comfortable with this process you take a bit of cake out of the middle and make a hole. Fill the hole with filling then top with the cake you took out.

This is my favorite cream filling. It makes enough for 24 cupcakes.

Cream filling from evilshenanigans.com

2 tsp. very hot water

1/4 tsp. salt

7 oz. jar marshmallow cream

1/2 cup shortening

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1. Dissolve salt in hot water.

2. Whip marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar adn vanilla until it gets fluffy.

3. Add water and whip well.

Bumpy Cupcakes similar to Sanders Bumpy Cake

Chocolate cake from Food Network

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 tsp. granulated sugar

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Cream filling "bumps"

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 Tbsp. heavy cream

Chocolate Genache from UggSmellFood.com

4 Tbsp. cocoa

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. plus 4 tsp. water

2 Tbsp. dark corn syrup

2 cups powdered sugar

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place paper liners in two-6 cup extra large cupcake pans(or 24 regular-sized tins)

2. Prepare the cupcakes: Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Bring the sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Pour into a large bowl; add the chocolate and butter and let sit, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture has cooled slightly. Stir in the vanilla. Using a mixer, beat in the eggs, then mix in the dry ingredients.

3. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans (about 1/4 cup batter per cupcake) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pans for about 25 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a rack to cool completely. If using standard sized pans, check after 18 minutes.

4. Meanwhile prepare the bumps. Using a mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in 1/2 cup confectioners sugar. Add the vanilla and 1 Tbsp. heavy cream; beat until smooth. Beat in the remaining 1/2 cup confectioners sugar and 2 Tbsp. heavy cream in batches, alternating after each addition. Fill pastry bag and set aside.

5. For the ganache mix all ingredients except sugar and heat, stirring, until hot. Mix in sugar or whisk until smooth.

6. Begin to assemble only after the cupcakes are cool. If filling the cupcakes refer to the directions in the first part of this article.

7. For the bumps, pipe 2 large strips of cream filling on each cupcake. Freeze for at least 30 minutes. Make the ganache and once frozen, dip the cupcakes into the ganache. Refrigerate until set.

Great with cold milk, coffee or tea!

Looking for a favorite recipe? E-mail Marge Biancke at a2mailbox@comcast.net.