Homemade Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes (Printable Version)
Chocolate cupcakes with marshmallow cream filling and glossy ganache, inspired by the iconic Hostess treat.
# What You Need:
→ Chocolate Cupcakes
01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1 cup granulated sugar
04 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
06 - ¼ teaspoon salt
07 - ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
08 - ½ cup vegetable oil
09 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
10 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
11 - ½ cup hot water
→ Cream Filling
12 - ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - ¾ cup powdered sugar
14 - 1 cup marshmallow creme
15 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 - 1–2 teaspoons milk (if needed for consistency)
→ Chocolate Ganache
17 - ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
18 - ¼ cup heavy cream
→ White Icing Swirl
19 - ¼ cup powdered sugar
20 - 1 teaspoon milk (plus more as needed)
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - Add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, then pour in the hot water and stir until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin — this is normal.
04 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
05 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
06 - Beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat for 1 minute. Mix in the marshmallow creme and vanilla extract, beating until fluffy. If the filling is too stiff, add milk one teaspoon at a time until it reaches a pipeable consistency.
07 - Using a small knife or cupcake corer, remove a small portion from the center of each cooled cupcake, saving the removed tops. Fill each cavity with cream filling using a piping bag, then replace the tops over the filling.
08 - Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until steaming but not boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy.
09 - Spoon or dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes into the ganache, coating evenly. Set aside until the glaze sets.
10 - Stir together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth and pipeable, adding more milk as needed. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a fine tip or a zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped off. Pipe the classic curly swirl across the top of each glazed cupcake.
11 - Allow the ganache and icing to fully set before serving. Enjoy at room temperature for the best texture and flavor.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The marshmallow filling whips up fluffier than anything from a package and tastes like actual vanilla bean ice cream met a cloud.
- That glossy ganache top cracks just right when you bite in, which is honestly the whole point of the thing.
02 -
- Patience is everything with the ganache because if your cream boils it will scorch the chocolate into a grainy mess you cannot fix.
- Hot cupcakes will dissolve your filling instantly, so give them a full cool on the rack before you even think about coring.
03 -
- If your filling feels too stiff to pipe cleanly, add milk literally one half teaspoon at a time because it goes from perfect to runny faster than you expect.
- Chill the cupcakes for ten minutes after filling and before dipping in ganache so the cream center holds its shape during the coating step.