Sweet Saturday: Homemade Hostess Cupcakes

Happy Saturday, my dear friends! Thank you for the bloggie love for my little owl project. It was a favorite of mine and I'm so happy you liked it, too! Are you ready for a sweet treat? :o)

Growing up, a favorite treat of mine was Hostess Cupcakes. I was always excited when my parents bought them and my heart danced with glee with each bite. These days, I most enjoy homemade versions of my favorite confections because I know exactly what's in them and everything just tastes better freshly made. To my delight, the nostalgia was still there as my family and I shared this homemade rendition of a childhood favorite. :o)

Note: In my rush to finish these before my mom arrived, I did not let the glaze thoroughly set before piping the trademark swirls. Thus, melty swirls. (I like to consider them HUGGING swirls.)

I had such a fun time baking up these cupcakes! The chocolate cake batter is made in a way that renders it the fluffiest cake I've ever made. They're so tender and airy, you can simply insert a pastry tip in the top to fill it with the fluffy marshmallow filling. Regrettably, due to my haste I didn't get an interior photograph. They're topped with a smooth and satiny chocolate glaze, with the final touch being the swirls of marshmallow delight. You can never go wrong with the chocolate-marshmallow combination and this was a hit, sure to be made time and again. I did make one change this time, which was to use semi-sweet chocolate for the glaze because that's my mom's favorite. I'm sure they're just as scrumptious with the called-for bittersweet chocolate.

There are a handful of bakers who I whole-heartedly trust and will make any of their desserts with unwavering confidence. This recipe is from one, and ironically the day after I baked these, another favorite food blogger posted her own version. I may try the other recipe the next time we're craving chocolate and marshmallow cupcakes... if I happen to love the other one even more, I'll be sure to re-post. :o) However, these were so loved and enjoyed by all that I'm in no hurry to do a recipe comparison. :o)

Make these and feel like a kid again. :o)

Thank you for visiting! I hope your weekend is filled with love, crafting, and sweet confections. :o)

Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
Yield: About 26 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cake:
1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
6 large eggs at room temperature, separated
1 cup canola oil
1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
6 tablespoons water

For the filling and frosting swirl:
2 cups marshmallow cream/fluff
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon cream or milk

For the chocolate glaze:
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, canola oil, 1½ cups of the sugar, and the water. Whisk to blend well. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Continue beating, gradually adding in the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar, until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add a quarter of the egg white mixture to the bowl with the batter to lighten. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites until the batter is smooth and no streaks remain.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed, about 16-18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Allow to cool in the pan about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling, combine the marshmallow cream and butter in a mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed until smooth. Blend in the confectioners' sugar and salt and whip until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes more. Transfer the majority of the filling mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip, reserving ½ cup in the mixing bowl. (The opening of the recommended tip is just under ½-inch in diameter.) Blend in the cream to the reserved filling mixture to make it smooth for piping the swirl on top of the cupcake. Transfer this to another pastry bag fitted with a small round tip (Wilton #3 is recommended). Chill until ready to use.

Fill the cupcakes by inserting the pastry tip directly into the center of each cupcake and squeezing in a dollop of the marshmallow mixture. (See this post for a visual-- an injector tip will not work for this recipe because the filling is too thick.) If excess filling comes out of the top, scrape it off with a knife so the top of the cupcake is essentially smooth.

Make the chocolate glaze by placing the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan or the microwave. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes. Whisk together until a smooth ganache forms. Let cool briefly, about 5 minutes.

Take the cupcakes one at a time and invert them, dipping the tops into the chocolate glaze. Transfer them to a wire rack or baking sheet to let the glaze set. (You can speed up this process by chilling in the refrigerator.) Once the glaze is set, use the reserved portion of marshmallow frosting to pipe a uniform swirl across the top of each cupcake. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Source: Annie's Eats