Hostess Cupcakes (Copycat) is the perfect moist chocolate cupcake with marshmallow cream filling, fudgy chocolate glaze, and piped white glaze on top.
This fun Dessert Recipe 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. Both kids and adults won’t be able to get enough!
HOSTESS CUPCAKES (COPYCAT)
Most of us grew up thinking of Hostess cakes as the ultimate treat. However, sometimes trying some of those favorites as an adult can leave something to be desired.
Don’t get me wrong, 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!
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!
MORE CUPCAKE RECIPES
Vanilla Cupcakes
Carrot Cupcakes
Valentine’s Day Cupcakes
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
BAKING TIPS
- Prep: Preheat the oven and line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Cupcake batter: Add the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, salt, melted unsalted butter, canola oil, and water to a stand mixer. Mix at medium speed until the dry ingredients are just combined with the wet ingredients. Then mix the eggs into the chocolate mixture followed by the milk and vanilla extract. Continue beating until smooth.
- Baking time: Use an ice cream scoop to scoop about ⅓ cup batter into the muffin cups. You want each of them to be about 2/3 full. Put them in the oven for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Leave the unfrosted cupcakes on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling and frosting.
- Cupcake filling: After the cupcakes cool, add marshmallow fluff to a piping bag with a small circular tip. Use the tip to poke a hole in each cupcake and pipe filling into each cake.
- Chocolate ganache: 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.
- White icing: Add the milk and powdered sugar to a medium bowl. Whisk until the powdered sugar is combined into a thick glaze. Add to a piping bag with a small tip. Pipe swirls over the cake in the pattern of Hostess Cupcakes.
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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. Or, 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.
MORE COPYCAT DESSERTS
Cosmic Brownies
Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls (Copycat)
Thin Mints (Copycat)
McDonald’s Shamrock Shake (Copycat)
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.
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 canola 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, canola 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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