Faux Hostess Cupcakes

I woke up at 5:30AM yesterday with one thing on my mind, Faux Hostess Cupcakes.

My thoughts were unwilling.

I tried to shimmy off the idea and go back to sleep,

I went as far as counting sheep!

I tried with all my might,

For it was starting to get light!

But alas, I resigned,

I had already made up my mind.

I crept out of bed,

With one thought in my head,

“Where’s the crème filling?”

I am sorry for that… I had an idea and I ran with it, it was 7 AM…. I never said I had good ideas.

I may be a terrible poet, but I am a pretty good baker. I hate to toot my own horn…. but I’m going to!

These cupcakes were amazing. Everything from the chocolate cake to the vanilla icing swirls… It was kind of… magical.  And I don’t even LIKE chocolate cake!!!

Chocolate Cupcake recipe slightly adapted from Ina Garten:

¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons good cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup buttermilk, shaken

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 extra-large egg, at room temperature

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup freshly brewed hot coffee

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper liners in muffin tin for 20 cupcakes.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.
3. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.
5. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
6. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans (about ¼ cup batter per cupcake) and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
7. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Filling recipe from Bake at 350:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 cup marshmallow crème

1. Using a mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in ½ cup confectioners’ sugar.
3. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon heavy cream; beat until smooth.
4. Beat in the remaining ½ cup confectioners’ sugar and 2 tablespoons heavy cream in batches, alternating after each addition.
5. Beat in the marshmallow creme; set aside or refrigerate.
6. Spoon the filling into a pastry bag with a medium star tip. Insert the tip into the center of each cupcake top; fill until the cupcake is heavier or “full.”

**Also, I found a great decorating tip for filling these cupcakes from Off The (Meat) Hook!

Ganache recipe from Bake at 350:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

½ cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Place the chocolate in a stainless-steel bowl. Heat the cream and 1 tablespoon butter until just boiling, then pour over the chocolate; let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Whisk until smooth.
3. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla; let stand until cool but still glossy and liquid.
4. Spoon a little ganache on each cupcake and lightly spread with an offset spatula or a knife. Chill for at least 15 minutes

Icing recipe from Bake at 350:

1 stick unsalted butter

1 & ½ – 2 tablespoons milk

2 cups powdered sugar

¼ tsp vanilla

1. Using a mixer, beat the remaining 1 stick butter, ¼ teaspoon vanilla, the milk and confectioners’ sugar until smooth, adding more milk if needed.
2. Spoon into a pastry bag with a small tip and pipe onto the cupcakes to decorate.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Nutritional Information**

Serving Size: 1 cupcake

Servings per Recipe: 24

Calories: 240

Fat: 14.7 g (Saturated 5.6 g)

Cholesterol: 35 mg

Carbohydrate: 31 g

Fiber: 0 g

Protein: 1.6 g

**Note: I calculated nutritional facts using a feature on Daily Burn.