Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
A couple of months ago, it was announced that Hostess would be going out of business and shutting down or selling off its popular snack brands. At the time, I plunged head-first into a batch of homemade Twinkies after not being able to find a single package in any grocery store within 24 hours of the announcement. I was admittedly never a huge Hostess groupie growing up. First of all, I just flat-out wasn’t allowed to eat stuff like that most of the time; myy mom never kept it in our house. Second, if we were allowed the occasional treat while at the grocery store, I always navigated to the Little Debbie snacks instead (hello, Swiss Cake Rolls!). However, I did manage to get my mitts on Hostess cupcakes now and again while at birthday parties or sleepovers, and I was mesmerized by that dreamy, creamy filling, and what kid doesn’t love chocolate?! Now, after seeing multiple renditions of the homemade version online, I finally created my own. Better late than never, for sure!
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Needless to say, these homemade cupcakes are approximately a bazillion times better than I can ever remember those packaged cupcakes tasting. Moist, luscious chocolate cupcakes, filled with a fluffy marshmallow cream frosting, topped with chocolate ganache and garnished with the nostalgic finishing touch: white curly-cued icing.
Bottom line, even if you were never a Hostess cupcake fan, you owe it to yourself to make some crazy-good cupcakes. You can even eat them for breakfast if you want and I won’t tell a soul… I’m totally on board the “eat cake for breakfast” band wagon. Anyone else want to join?!
One year ago: Minestrone Soup and Chubby Hubby Rice Krispies Treats
Two years ago: Maple-Bacon Kettle Popcorn
Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 3 ounces (85.05 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
- ⅓ cup (28.67 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¾ cup (177.75 ml) brewed coffee, still hot
- ¾ cup (93.75 g) bread flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Filling:
- 1 cup (127 g) marshmallow creme
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
For the Ganache Frosting:
- 2½ ounces (70.87 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ¼ cup (59.5 ml) heavy cream
For the White Icing:
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- Splash vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.
- Place the chocolate and cocoa in a medium bowl. Pour the coffee over the mixture and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Whisk the mixture gently until smooth, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
- Whisk the oil, eggs, vinegar and vanilla extract into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake cupcakes until set and just firm to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin on a wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Remove each cupcake from the tin, set on the wire rack, and let cool completely before filling and frosting, about 1 hour. (Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.)
- Make the Filling: Beat the marshmallow creme and butter on medium speed until soft and light, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar. Once it has all been incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until very light and fluffy. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a large, round tip (I used an Ateco #804) and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Make the Ganache Frosting: Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Place the cream in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the stove, and immediately pour over the chopped chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes, then gently whisk together until a smooth ganache forms. Set aside to thicken for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Make the White Icing: Beat together the powdered sugar, butter, milk and vanilla on medium speed until completely blended and smooth. Transfer the icing to a pastry bag fitted with a small, round tip (I used a Wilton #3) and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Assemble the Cupcakes: Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter (or the bottom of a large decorating tip), cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes, going about two-thirds of the way down (just like I did in these cupcakes). Using the prepared pastry bag, pipe filling into the holes of each cupcake. If any filling spills over the top, just scrape it off so the top stays smooth.
- Once all of the cupcakes have been filled, take them one at a time and dip them, top-side-down, into the ganache. Dip them down to where the liners starts, so that the entire top is covered. Allow any excess to drip off, then place back on the cooling rack, right-side up. Once all of the cupcakes have been topped with ganache, transfer the cooling rack to the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the ganache to firm up and set.
- Once the ganache is firm, take your pastry bag with the white icing and pipe the decorative curls across the top of each cupcake. Allow to set for about 15 minutes before serving. Any leftover cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Hi can I just place a minimarshmallow in the center and then cover with ganache, instead of making the cream filling and piping them in?
If you’re looking for a shortcut, I would recommend using marshmallow creme instead of an actual marshmallow; you’ll get closer to what the finished product should taste like.
I made these last night with a couple of changes….primarily because I was in a crunch for time. They were AMAZING! I used BETTY CROCKER Chocolate Fudge cake mix and then the box instructions call for 1 1/4 cup water….I used 1 cup of water and 1/4 cup brewed coffee, I then added about a teaspoon of vanilla. They cake was so moist and yummy. I wanted to stay kinda close to this recipe and noticed that it called for coffee….so I gave it a whirl with the packaged mix and it was great! I then made the ganache as the recipe stated but then I tasted it and it was just a little too bitter for my taste, so I added about 1/4 cup of powdered sugar…..it sweetened it up nicely. The recipe only yields about 12 cupcakes, if you use the box mix, you will probably get about 22-24, so double the filling, ganache and frosting recipe. My family went absolutely gaga over these cupcakes last night. They said they were their favorite cupcakes that I have ever made! Thanks so much for recreating the old Hostess favorite! They taste just like them!
Planning on making these after my test tomorrow… what would happen if I substituted this cake recipe with a standard chocolate cupcake and kept everything else the same?? After watching an episode of Cupcake Wars who isn’t tempted to go bake!!!
Hi Cori, You could definitely do that! Enjoy!
I just made these, they are so delicious! And cute. I used all-purpose flour but otherwise followed the recipe and I’m so glad I did. You can’t taste the coffee, it just enhances the chocolate flavor. I just used a ziplock bag,much a very tiny corner off, and piped in the filling that way. For the decorative curlicue, I used a small round icing tip in a sandwich bag (couldn’t find my pastry bag). I’ll make these again, probably double the ganache as others did to make sure there is plenty. Thanks for sharing!
I made 4 dozens of these for my daughters 4th bday and they were a HIT!!! So moist and delicious people took some home for later with coffee or milk. Thank you so much! A lot of prep work but so worth every bite!
Just made a gluten free version (with pink filling) for valentine’s day. Turned out great! Thank you.
Wanting to make these for someone on valentines day. If i make them 2 days in advance will they still be fresh and good ?
Yes, just be sure to store them in an airtight container so they don’t get stale!
Thanks MIchelle. I finally got to make these. They’re delicious1 I cut the sugar in half in the cake and marshmallow cream part but otherwise tried to stick to the recipe. I don’t really remember what Hostess cupcakes tasted like (I was never a fan of packaged desserts), but these are a hit!
I love these. So cute. I actually tried to make them once and failed. I’m going to give it another try.
So I decided to make these cupcakes yesterday. I didn’t make the filling or the white icing just the ganache. OMG. They were amazing! And I even forgot to put in the vanilla (don’t know how I could have forgotten) but they were still so good! Thanks for sharing the recipe :)
I made these for a friend for his birthday (huge sweet tooth). He just emailed back that the last one was eaten and I am to save this recipe as this was the best cupcake he has every had in his life (and he is 60+ years old so that is quite a compliment!). I followed the recipe to the letter. The only glitch I had was I used an old ratcheted type manual gadget to pipe in the filling. The filling was very loose when I loaded but quite stiff when I went to pipe it about 30 minutes later (after being in the fridge) and ended up breaking the gadget. So…use a piping bag or beware that the filling can harden up a bit too much for old worn out gadgets. It wasn’t a loss, I just pressed the contents out manually and that worked just fine. Many thanks for the step by step plus pictures, it really made a difference, and the process was pretty easy. I did it all in one evening.
I don’t have a pastry bag and therefore no tip to hollow out the cupcake. Do you think I could bake the filling or would that change the whole recipe? You know, fill half with the batter then put a dollop of filling in and top it off with the remaining batter? Thanks!
Hi Rebecca, You definitely do not want to bake the filling into the cupcake. You can use a lot of things to hollow out the middle of the cupcake, I just use a pastry tip because it’s easy. You can use a paring knife to cut out the middle.
Hello, yesterday I made these cupcakes, they look beautiful, but I have not grown out and then crushed, you might miss, maybe more flour? and its taste was very simple, tasteless … I can provide a solution to improve … Thanks keep your desserts from ECUADOR.
I made a double batch of these cupcakes and they were INCREDIBLE. I don’t like chocolate cake, and I was never a big hostess snack eater, but I loved these. The only note I would make is, while I made a double batch and thus doubled the recipe and the amount of ganache I made, I still had to make another single batch of the ganache to be able to dip all the cupcakes in them. Maybe I just went a little thick with it, but luckily I had extra chocolate and cream so it was fine. And again, these were SO SO good.
I made these today, and did not use bread flour. I can see where it would make a difference in the texture – would be have been good. Also, I agree that the ganache recipe should be doubled so that you don’t need to scrimp when dipping the cupcakes in. I also had to add a bit of cream to the filling, as it was quite dry for me. Very good recipe!. Thanks.
Oh mah gah!
I made these tonight. They were fantastic!
I am a huge hostess cupcake fan – I very rarely ever indulged in them, but they were a REQUIREMENT during my pregnancies!! Having just found out I’m pregnant again, I have been wondering what I will do when the chocolate cupcake craving strikes, and now I know! :D
To make the cupcakes look like the commercial snack cakes, use a pastry bag to inject the filling. They are available in most cookware, cake supply, craft stores, and even some supermarkets. Tips for the pastry bags come in a number of shapes and sizes, but a plain round tip is all that is needed here. Snip off the point of your bag, slide the tip inside, and push it down to the point.
I did this too and it worked beautifully-it was also very quick!
I honestly never was a Twinkie fan (and also was in the camp of those whose moms didn’t let them eat a whole lot of Hostess treats anyway). But the cupcakes–those are a different story. And I’m not even a chocolate cake fan. I’ve had these on my to-make list for so long, it’s ridiculous, and this post is just reminding me that it’s about time I went ahead and did it already!
Great pictures Michelle! Can’t wait to try these! For coring cupcakes, I highly recommend the Cuisipro Cupcake Corer, $5 at Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table. I can’t live without mine. Keep up the great work!!
As my mom always says, “Eating a brownie for breakfast is no different than eating a chocolate donut!” Ergo, I am TOTALLY on board with cake for breakfast, especially these yummy little treats. :)
My favorite is the Hostess fruit pies. I like the chocolate Hostess pie. Do you have a recipe for that?
I don’t have recipes for them yet, but I will definitely add them to my list!
I love Hostess cupcakes. I was never a big twinkie fan. These look so perfect…
I have been craving a Twinkie but know it would taste disappointing. All those Hostess products taste so processed. The homemade ones are always better. I still think someone will start making the products again. Have you ever tried homemade marshmallow frosting? It is literally my favorite thing on earth and I make it all the time.
Oooh I have, on my s’mores cupcakes (https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/07/13/smores-cupcakes-recipe/). I agree, it’s totally heavenly! I could eat it by the spoonful!
Michelle, what would you substitute for if I didn’t want to use coffee in the recipe?
Hi Kelly, I really do recommend using the coffee, as it’s a great enhancement to the chocolate flavor and it doesn’t taste like coffee in the finished product. If you can’t use coffee for whatever reason, you can substitute hot water.
Hi Michelle, if you’re worried about the cupcake tasting of coffee, you needn’t be. The coffee really enhances the flavor of the chocolate and is not noticealbe. For a long time I put off using recipes that had coffee in them because I’m the only one in the family that likes it. However I finally braved a recipe and no one noticed the flavor of the coffee. Hope that helps!
Kelly – I made with decaf coffee (in case caffeine intake is your concern) and they turned out great. I didn’t want my little ones having too much caffeine…
Just made these, while they don’t taste all the much like the real thing, they are very good
These look beautiful! And I’m sure they’re so much better than the storebought version :)
I’m totally for the eating cupcakes for breakfast thing. There’s a National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, too. Did you know that? I might have to participate in that as well…
These look yummy!! :)
I always wanted to know how to make this cupcake, I saw all the time on pictures but never a recipe. I’m with problems because we don’t have marshmallow creme on the markets, so maybe I can replace with meringue.
In reference to beckys comment… Ummmm I looked at the Annie’s Eats recipe, it’s VERY different! Also, the pictures… HELLO it’s a chocolate cupcake the white background and plate will of course set it off. Why would you be so negative? Cupcakes should make you smile… you are a muffin… muffins are just ugly cupcakes!
Angie- awesome comeback. I am going to steal that and use it every single day! You are NOT a muffin- classy response!