Copycat Hostess Cupcakes are rich, moist chocolate treats with a creamy center, glossy glaze, and that classic signature white swirl on top.
This fun Cupcake is perfect to bring along to your next potluck, enjoy as a sweet snack, or pack in school lunches. The Chocolatey Cupcakes get a hostess twist with a cream filling and chocolate topping. Also try Brownie Cupcakes!
Sabrina’s Hostess Cupcakes (Copycat) Recipe
Don’t get me wrong, most of us grew up thinking of Hostess cakes as the ultimate treat (and they are good), but the prepackaged cake tends to be dried out before you ever get it home. Making homemade versions means that you can get that nostalgic taste but made even better, just like we’ve done in these Copycat Hostess Cupcakes!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling:
- 7 ounces marshmallow creme
Chocolate Frosting:
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
Piping:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin tray with liner cups.
- To a stand mixer add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, salt, melted butter, oil, and water and turn on the beater until just combined.
- Add in the eggs until just combined, then add in the milk and vanilla, beating until smooth.
- Using an ice cream scoop fill the cups 2/3 full and bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
Filling:
- Put marshmallow creme in piping bag with a small circular tip.
- Poke tip into cupcake and add about 2 tablespoons of filling.
Chocolate Glaze:
- Add chocolate chips and heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute.
- Let sit for 2 minutes untouched then stir until smooth and glossy.
- Dip cupcakes upside down into glaze then let harden.
Piping:
- Whisk powdered sugar and milk together to form a thick glaze.
- Pour into a piping bag with skinny tip and pipe in connected circles across the middle of the cupcake.
- Let harden.
Nutrition
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Sabrina Tips
To make the fudgy ganache, add chocolate chips and heavy cream to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the ingredients for 1 minute at 50% power. Let the mixture sit for 2 minutes, then stir it until it’s smooth and glossy. Dip the top of each cupcake into the chocolate ganache, and set them back on a cooling rack to harden.
Table of Contents
About this Recipe
We followed the same components as the store bought cake. With this recipe, you get chocolate cakes topped off with Chocolate Ganache, a white icing swirl, and of course, there’s a marshmallow fluff cupcake filing. However, making the recipe yourself means you get a perfectly fresh and moist chocolate cupcake. They’re absolutely delicious and sure to be a new family favorite!
How to Store
- Serve: Make sure to let the frosting completely harden before eating the cupcakes.
- Store: If you have any leftover cupcakes, they’ll stay good at room temperature for up to 2 days. Just cover them in plastic wrap to keep them moist. You could also seal the cakes in an airtight container to store in the fridge for 1 week.
- Freeze: Kept carefully sealed, Hostess Cupcakes can also stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Variations
- Triple Chocolate: There’s already plenty of chocolate in this recipe between the moist chocolate cupcakes and amazing chocolate glaze. If you just can’t get enough, you can mix some extra chocolate into the cupcake batter. Add ½ cup of semisweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks to finish off the recipe.
- Fruit Filling: Instead of filling the cake with marshmallow filling, you could use a fruit jelly, like raspberry, strawberry, or blueberry. For a more tart taste, try Lemon Curd.
- Toppings: For some fun toppings, add on sprinkles, mini marshmallows, M&Ms, or berries. Just be sure to add the toppings before the frosting hardens so that they can stick to the cupcakes.
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Photos used in previous version of post:
I was a little nervous about piping the white swirl, but your instructions for the thick powdered sugar glaze worked like a charm. These are almost too pretty to eat!