Homemade Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes (Printable)
Chocolate cupcakes with marshmallow cream filling and glossy ganache topping, topped with signature white swirls.
# 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 Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 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. Mix until just combined, then pour in the hot water and stir until the batter is smooth and uniform. The batter will be noticeably thin.
04 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared liners, filling each cavity 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 let cool completely.
06 - Beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat for 1 minute. Mix in the marshmallow creme and vanilla extract, beating until fluffy. If the filling is too stiff, add milk one teaspoon at a time until it reaches a pipeable consistency.
07 - Using a small knife or cupcake corer, remove a small cylinder from the center of each cooled cupcake, reserving the tops if desired. Transfer the cream filling to a piping bag and fill each cavity. Replace the reserved tops if using.
08 - Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until steaming but not boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and let sit for 2 minutes. Stir gently until the ganache is smooth and glossy.
09 - Spoon the ganache over the tops of the cooled cupcakes or dip each cupcake top directly into the ganache, allowing the excess to drip off. Set aside until the glaze is set.
10 - Stir together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth and pipeable, adding more milk as needed. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a fine tip or a zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped off. Pipe a signature swirl across the top of each glazed cupcake.
11 - Allow the ganache and icing to fully set before serving. Enjoy at room temperature for the best texture and flavor.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The marshmallow filling is cloud soft and tastes nothing like the store bought version in the best way possible.
- You get to core cupcakes which is oddly satisfying and makes you feel like a pastry surgeon.
- That shiny ganache top with the signature white swirl is guaranteed to make anyone smile when they open the container.
02 -
- The batter will look alarmingly thin like soup but trust the process because that hot water is what makes the cake incredibly tender.
- Do not rush the cooling step because warm cupcakes will dissolve your filling and you will have a mess instead of a magical center.
- If the ganache seizes and becomes grainy add a teaspoon of warm cream and stir gently until it comes back together.
03 -
- Dust your cupcake corer or knife with cocoa powder before cutting so the cake does not stick and tear the walls of your little well.
- The white swirl icing should be thicker than you think because it needs to sit on top of the ganache without melting into it so add milk by the tiniest drops possible.