Hostess CupCake
intro
Nostalgic homemade copycat of the iconic Hostess chocolate snack cake, with fluffy marshmallow filling, glossy chocolate glaze, and the signature white squiggle.
Ingredients
Steps
Bake chocolate cupcake bases
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F), then line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper baking liners. In a large mixing bowl, whisk 180g all-purpose flour, 50g unsweetened cocoa powder, 200g granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt until fully combined. Add 180ml whole milk, 80ml vegetable oil, 2 room-temperature large eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, then mix on low speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Slowly stir in 120ml boiling water (the batter will be thin, this is normal). Divide batter evenly between liners, filling each ⅔ full, then bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with 1-2 moist crumbs. Let cupcakes cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before filling.
Whip signature creamy filling
In a medium mixing bowl, beat 56g softened unsalted butter on medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add 120g sifted powdered sugar, 113g marshmallow fluff, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 pinch of fine sea salt. Mix on low speed for 1 minute to combine ingredients, then increase to medium-high speed and whip for 3 minutes until the filling is light, smooth, and holds a soft peak when the mixer is lifted. Transfer the finished filling to a piping bag fitted with a small round filling tip (Wilton #230 is recommended).
Fill cooled cupcake centers
Take each fully cooled cupcake, insert the piping tip 2cm (¾ inch) deep into the top center of the cake. Squeeze the piping bag gently to pipe 1-2 teaspoons of filling into the center—stop squeezing as soon as you feel the cupcake expand slightly, then pull the tip straight out. Wipe any excess filling that oozes out with a small paper towel to keep the cupcake top smooth and ready for glazing.
Make shiny chocolate glaze
Combine 170g semi-sweet chocolate chips, 28g unsalted butter, and 1 tablespoon light corn syrup in a heatproof glass bowl set over a small pot of gently simmering water (double boiler setup, ensure the bowl does not touch the water). Stir constantly with a silicone spatula over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is completely smooth, glossy, and free of lumps. Remove the bowl from heat and let the glaze cool for 5 minutes, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without running off quickly.
Dip cupcakes in glaze
Hold each filled cupcake upside down, dip the top 1cm (½ inch) of the cake straight into the cooled chocolate glaze, twist slightly to ensure an even coating, then lift and let excess glaze drip off for 5 seconds. Turn the cupcake right-side up and place it back on the wire rack, set over a sheet of parchment paper to catch drips. Let the glaze set for 15 minutes at room temperature until it is firm to the touch and no longer sticky.
Pipe classic white squiggle
Melt 50g white vanilla melting wafers in a small heatproof bowl in 30-second microwave bursts at 50% power, stirring between each burst, until completely smooth (about 1 minute total). Transfer the melted white candy to a small piping bag fitted with a tiny round tip (Wilton #2), or a small plastic sandwich bag with a 1mm corner snipped off. Pipe a continuous, wavy squiggle across the top of each set chocolate glaze, going from one edge of the cupcake top to the other. Let the white squiggle set for 10 minutes before serving.
Tips
2.Adjust glaze consistency as needed: cool runny glaze for 2-3 extra minutes, or reheat thickened glaze for 10 seconds over a double boiler to restore smooth dipping texture.
3.Use plain original marshmallow fluff for the filling, rather than flavored marshmallow creme or sweetened whipped cream, to match the classic Hostess flavor.
OMG these taste EXACTLY like the Hostess cupcakes I begged my mom to pack in my lunch as a kid!!! I made these for my son’s 4th grade class potluck yesterday and every single kid came back asking for a second. The creamy filling is so spot on, I may have eaten a spoonful straight while I was piping it 😂 The only heads up is leave yourself enough time for the cupcakes to cool completely before you add the filling and glaze, I rushed the first batch and it was a melty mess! SO good, will be making these for every birthday from now on.
Wait, is the filling supposed to be super runny? I followed the measurements exactly but mine was way too thin to pipe, it oozed right out the bottom of the cupcakes when I tried to inject it. I ended up sticking the whole batch in the fridge for an hour and it firmed up okay, but the texture was a little grainy? Flavor was great though, my roommate ate 3 in one sitting lmao.
Game changer!!! I’ve tried 3 different copycat Hostess cupcake recipes over the years and none of them come close to this. The chocolate ganache glaze sets perfectly with that little crack when you bite into it, just like the original! I brought these to my neighborhood block party this weekend and people were asking me for the recipe before they even finished their first bite. 10/10, no notes.
Made these with my 7 year old daughter for our weekly Sunday bake day and we had a blast. She got to do the little white squiggles on top and was so proud of herself she showed every person who came to the door all week lmao. The cake is super moist, not too sweet, the filling is fluffy as hell, 10 out of 10. We already have a request to make a double batch for her soccer team snack next weekend. Pro tip: if you don’t have a piping bag for the filling, a plastic zip top bag with the corner cut off works perfectly, no fancy equipment needed!
Has anyone tried making these with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend? I’m gluten intolerant but have been craving these so bad ever since I saw the recipe pop up on my feed. I don’t want to waste ingredients if the texture is going to be all gummy or off!
I cannot believe how spot on these are!!! I grew up eating Hostess cupcakes after soccer practice as a kid and these taste exactly like I remember, maybe even better because they don’t have that weird preservative aftertaste. The cook time is a little long but so worth it, I promise. My only tiny complaint is the white icing for the squiggle on top was a little hard to get thin enough to pipe neatly, but honestly the messy ones tasted just as good lmao.