How to Make Homemade Hostess Cupcakes

Today I am showing you how to make Homemade Hostess Cupcakes. These are a take on the popular store bought brand. I’ve used a deliciously rich chocolate cake, filled it with marshmallow buttercream and dipped the cupcake in chocolate ganache.

 Subscribe to Cupcakes and Cardio to ensure that you see all of our newest videos when they’re released!

Hostess Cupcakes are not something that I was brought up on. Come to think of it, cupcakes weren’t something I was brought up on! How did I end up in this life? In this video? That’s pondering for another time. The wrapped cupcakes, Twinkies, muffins and cookies have always fascinated me while at a corner store or 7-Eleven. How do they stay shelf stable for so long? Do people actually buy them? And then eat them? All of these deep, meaningful questions are coming to my brain this morning . . . and I’m spewing the nonsense out to you.  You’re welcome. Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Hostess Cupcakes are something *whisper* that I had never tried before *shhhh*.  I was either not allowed, or not interested. I don’t know which! I blame my parents. For everything. Including the rambling in this post.

Briefly a few years back, rumors flew around that Hostess was not going to be in operation any longer- the Twinkie and cupcakes were going to be gone forever. According to Wikipedia, the company went out of business in 2012? Well, years later, they’re still here so I was able to go and buy a box of cupcakes from the local grocery store. There are apparently a number of different flavours (which we’re likely to never see in Canada), but their most popular is the chocolate cupcake, with chocolate icing and cream filling. 

I wanted a really rich, dense chocolate cake for my version, so I made a dark devil’s food like cake with sour cream in it to thicken it up. It pairs perfectly with my ultimate favourite buttercream-marshmallow (recipe is linked below)! In the marshmallow buttercream recipe, I use marshmallow fluff, but I also have a video up on how to make your own marshmallow fluff from scratch if you prefer. Using either makes for delicious icing and filling for these cupcakes.

Chocolate ganache is a true delight if you’re a chocolate lover. I usually use milk chocolate in mine, but you could use whichever type of chocolate you prefer. I’ve even made white chocolate ganache and dyed it. These cupcakes would be pretty good on their own but to get the copycat look of the Hostess version, you have to add the chocolate glaze to the top. It’s not only tasty but pretty too. Who doesn’t need a pretty cupcake in their life?

 What other kind of copycat recipe should I show you how to make?

Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
Makes 18-22 cupcakes

Ingredients:
-1 cup cocoa powder
-1/2 cup boiling water
-1/2 cup sour cream
-1 1/2 cup flour
-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-3/4 cup salted butter
-1 cup granulated sugar
-2 eggs
-2 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
–Marshmallow buttercream
–Chocolate ganache

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a small bowl, combine water and cocoa powder. Whisk until smooth and fully combined. Add in sour cream, and continue to stir. Set aside.
2. In another small bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, and add vanilla until completely combined.
5. Add half of the flour mixture, and half of the chocolate mixture to the butter while the mixer is on low speed. Once combined, add remaining amounts of each and mix until batter has no white streaks remaining.
6. Fill wells 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Once cupcakes have cooled, remove center section with a knife or cupcake corer, and keep top.
8. Fill center hole with marshmallow buttercream. Replace top of cupcake, and dip top of cupcake into the chocolate ganache.
9. Pipe marshmallow buttercream on in swirls using a small round tip.
10. Cupcakes are best consumed within 2-3 days. Keep in a sealed container and stored in the fridge until ready to serve.