Homemade Hostess Cupcakes (Printable Version)
Chocolate cupcakes filled with marshmallow creme, topped with ganache and the iconic white swirl.
# What You Need:
→ Chocolate Cupcakes
01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
04 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
05 - ¼ teaspoon salt
06 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 1 cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 - ½ cup whole milk
11 - ½ cup hot water
→ Marshmallow Filling
12 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - 1 cup powdered sugar
14 - 1 cup marshmallow creme
15 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Chocolate Ganache
16 - ½ cup heavy cream
17 - 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
→ White Icing Swirl
18 - ¼ cup powdered sugar
19 - 1 teaspoon whole milk
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
05 - Add the sifted flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk, mixing just until combined. Stir in the hot water until the batter is smooth.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
07 - Beat the softened butter and powdered sugar together until fluffy. Add the marshmallow creme and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth and creamy.
08 - Transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Insert the tip into the center of each cooled cupcake and squeeze gently to fill. Reserve a small amount of filling if desired for the swirl.
09 - Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until steaming but not boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Stir until glossy and smooth, then let cool for 5 minutes.
10 - Dip the top of each filled cupcake into the ganache, allowing the excess to drip off. Let set for 10 minutes until the ganache firms up.
11 - Mix the powdered sugar with the milk to form a thick but pipeable icing. Transfer to a small piping bag and pipe the classic squiggly swirl across the top of each cupcake.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The marshmallow filling piped directly into the warm crumb tastes nothing like the store bought version, and that is entirely the point.
- You get to control the chocolate quality, which means these can go from nostalgic treat to genuinely impressive dessert with one bag of good semi sweet chocolate.
02 -
- Piping filling into warm cupcakes will melt the marshmallow creme into a sad puddle that leaks out the bottom, so patience during cooling is non negotiable.
- The ganache needs those five minutes of resting time after stirring, because dipping too early means a thin coating that runs down the sides and pools at the base.
03 -
- Tap the filled muffin tin firmly on the counter before baking to knock out trapped air bubbles that create tunnels and odd textures in the finished crumb.
- A plastic squeeze bottle works even better than a piping bag for the white squiggle because it gives you precise control with zero squeezing fatigue.