Homemade Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes (Printable)
Chocolate cupcakes with marshmallow cream filling and glossy ganache topping, finished with the iconic white swirl.
# What You’ll 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 Prepare:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - Add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry mixture. Beat until just combined, then pour in the hot water and stir until the batter is smooth and lump-free. 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 cool completely before filling or glazing.
06 - Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter on medium speed until light and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat for 1 minute. Blend in the marshmallow creme and vanilla extract, beating until the filling is smooth and fluffy. If the consistency is too stiff, thin with milk one teaspoon at a time until pipeable.
07 - Once the cupcakes are completely cool, use a small paring knife or cupcake corer to remove a small cone from the center of each. Reserve the removed tops. Fill each cavity with cream filling using a piping bag, then replace the tops gently.
08 - In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until steaming but not boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and let stand for 2 minutes. Stir until the ganache is glossy and smooth.
09 - Spoon the ganache over the tops of the filled cupcakes, or dip each cupcake top-down into the ganache. Allow the glaze to set at room temperature until firm to the touch.
10 - Stir together the powdered sugar and milk until a thick but pipeable icing forms. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a fine round 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 - Serve at room temperature for the best texture and flavor. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The marshmallow creme filling tastes like a cloud married a buttercream and they had the most delightful baby.
- That glossy ganache top cracks perfectly when you bite into it, just like the original but infinitely richer.
02 -
- Patience is everything because if you try to fill or glaze warm cupcakes, everything melts and you end up with a delicious but very messy situation.
- The hot water in the batter is not a mistake because that thin, soupy consistency bakes into the most impossibly tender cake you will ever taste.
03 -
- Dutch processed cocoa powder will give you a deeper, more complex chocolate flavor that tastes closer to the original inspiration.
- A zip top bag with the tiniest corner snipped off works just as well as a piping bag for both the filling and the white swirl.