Hostess Cupcakes

4.94 from 15 votes

A homemade version of the classic Hostess cupcake. Perfect chocolate cupcake, filled with marshmallow filling, dipped in chocolate ganache, and topped off with a perfect vanilla swirl.

Prep Time45

Cook Time20

Total Time1 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: chocolate

Servings: -14 cupcakes

Calories: 357kcal

Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
½ cup (42 g) unsweetened Cocoa powder (natural or Dutch)
¾ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg room temperature
¼ cup (60 ml) milk room temperature
¼ cup (57 g) sour cream
¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil (or other neutral-tasting oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (120 ml) hot coffee

For the marshmallow filling (and icing on top):

10 Tablespoons (142 g) unsalted butter softened
1 ¼ cups (142 g) powdered sugar
3 ½ ounces marshmallow fluff
1 Tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

For the Chocolate Ganache

4 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate chopped (or chips is fine as well)
¼ cup (60 mL) heavy cream

Instructions

Make the cupcakes

Position a rack in the center of your oven. Pre-heat oven to 350°F (180oC). Prepare two muffin pans with cupcake liners.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour ½ cup (42 g) unsweetened Cocoa powder (natural or Dutch) ¾ teaspoons baking powder ¾ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt
In a second large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, sour cream, oil, vanilla extract until well combined. 1 large egg ¼ cup (60 ml) milk ¼ cup (57 g) sour cream ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and stir with a rubber spatula, together just until the last of flour has been incorporated.
Stir in the coffee to batter and stir to combine. (batter will be thin). ½ cup (120 ml) hot coffee
Fill each cupcake well about ¾ cup full of batter. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, rotating pans halfway through baking. Remove cupcakes from the oven and cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and cool on a wire rack. Cool completely.

Make the marshmallow filling:

In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. 10 Tablespoons (142 g) unsalted butter 1 ¼ cups (142 g) powdered sugar
Add the marshmallow fluff to the mixture and beat until combined. Scraping down the bowl as needed. 3 ½ ounces marshmallow fluff
Add in your heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt, and mix on medium to high speed for 7-8 minutes until light and creamy. If not using immediately, store in a container in the refrigerator until ready to use, mix again until light and fluffy. 1 Tablespoon heavy cream 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Pinch of salt

Assemble the cupcakes:

For filling the cupcakes you have two options - the cone method or straight piping method. For the cone method cut out the center out of the cupcake at an angle about two-thirds of the way down. Save the top of the cupcake and simply trim off the bottom so you can replace the top of the cupcake once you have filled them with the marshmallow creme.
Using a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off, fill the center of each cupcake with the marshmallow filling. Just be sure not to overfill. If you fill above the cupcake, simply use a small spatula to scrape off the top. Place the trimmed top that you saved back on the cupcake. You will need some of this icing to pip swirls on top.
For the straight piping method, you want to put the filling into a piping bag fitted a small round piping tip. Then press the tip right into the cupcake and squeeze the filling into the cupcake (you will feel the pressure as it fills).

To make the ganache:

Place chocolate in a small bowl. 4 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate
Heat cream in a saucepan or microwave until hot and steaming, but not boiling.
Pour the cream over the chocolate making sure the chocolate is covered. Let sit for 3 minutes. Then stir until smooth. ¼ cup (60 mL) heavy cream
Allow to cool slightly, then dip the top of each cupcake into the ganache so that ganache covers all the way to the liner. Allow any excess to drip off. Alternately you can also ice with an offset spatula. Place each one back onto the cooling rack. I like to refrigerate the cupcakes to set the ganache before adding the swirls.

Add swirls:

Use remaining marshmallow filling icing to pipe swirls on top of cupcake. I placed the filling into a piping bag and cut off the bottom so it had a small hole. You can also use a small round piping tip (like Wilton #3). Pipe 5 swirls on top of each cupcake.

Video

Notes

The recipe has been updated to now have a marshmallow frosting which is easier than the marshmallow homemade creme but that can still be used if you would like.

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