Description
Classic chocolate cupcakes with Hostess-style cream filling offer nostalgic American dessert perfection. Cocoa-rich cake and marshmallow swirl create irresistible homemade magic you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 oz (142 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 8 tbsps (113 g) unsalted butter (softened)
- 2 eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 large egg yolk (at room temperature)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tbsps unsweetened cocoa
- ½ cup boiling water
- 1 ¼ cups marshmallow fluff/creme
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) heavy cream (warmed in a saucepan)
- 2 tbsps (28 g) butter (softened)
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 or 2 tsp milk
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Arrange 15 cupcake liners across two muffin pans.
- Dry Ingredient Blend: Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until completely smooth and lump-free.
- Butter Mixture: Cream butter until pale, gradually incorporating sugar. Beat for five minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs individually, blending thoroughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
- Batter Formation: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture in four stages. Stream hot water into batter, stirring until achieving a uniform, silky consistency.
- Baking Process: Distribute batter evenly, filling liners 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
- Filling Creation: Whip marshmallow fluff with softened butter until creamy. Using a pastry bag with a filling tip, inject mixture into cupcake centers.
- Ganache Preparation: Heat heavy cream until gently simmering. Pour over chocolate chips, let sit for three minutes, then stir until perfectly smooth.
- Coating and Decoration: Spread ganache over cupcakes, ensuring complete coverage. Allow to set at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Prepare decorative icing by mixing confectioners’ sugar with milk. Pipe signature swirls across cupcake tops.
Notes
- Prevent Overmixing: Gently fold dry ingredients to maintain cupcake’s tender, light texture and avoid tough, dense results.
- Temperature Precision: Ensure ingredients are at room temperature for smoother batter and more consistent baking performance.
- Filling Technique: Insert pastry tip at a 45-degree angle into cupcake center for even distribution of marshmallow cream.
- Ganache Setting: Allow chocolate coating to set completely at room temperature for a glossy, professional finish.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 16
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg