Copycat Hostess Cupcakes
With this fun recipe, you can make your own Copycat Hostess Cupcakes in under an hour! Turn a childhood favorite into a homemade treat!
A CHILDHOOD FAVORITE COPYCAT RECIPE
Have you ever craved a scrumptious Hostess Cupcake and wished that you could master the art of making them yourself? Well, now you can! I’ve created this easy-to-follow recipe so that anyone can make delicious copycat Hostess Cupcakes right from the comfort of their own kitchen. These homemade cupcakes have all the same flavor, texture, and mouthwatering sweetness of store bought ones that you love only better! So grab your baking ingredients and settle in for some top notch treat-making – it’s time to get creative with these copycat Hostess Cupcakes!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
You only need 4 simple ingredients for the filling of a Hostess cupcake. You’ll need softened unsalted butter, marshmallow creme, powdered sugar, and heavy cream.
You’ll need to work quickly when adding the ganache to these cupcakes. If your ganache starts to harden up, you can pop it back in the microwave for a few seconds to thin it back out and loosen it up again.
Instead of milk chocolate, try semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate to make your ganache.
Due to the ganache, filling and other ingredients, these cupcakes need to be refrigerated. However, they are best served when they’re room temperature, so let them sit out for a few to warm up.
I recommend using light pressure when squeezing the vanilla curly-q’s on to the cupcake. You can practice on a paper towel to make sure you can do it properly before doing it on the cupcakes.
You can do this without a piping bag. You’ll just need to poke a whole into the tops of the cupcakes before adding in the cream since you don’t have a piping tip to do that for you. Just put the filling into a ziploc bag and push it all to one corner. Snip off the corner and then push into the hole you made in the tops of the cupcakes.
Leftover cupcakes should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. You can freeze them for up to 3 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- chocolate cake mix
- eggs, oil and water- needed to make the cake
- unsalted butter
- marshmallow creme
- powdered sugar
- heavy cream
- milk chocolate chips
- heavy cream
- vanilla extract
HOW TO MAKE COPYCAT HOSTESS CUPCAKES
Mix the cake mix with the ingredients on the back of the box. Add the cake batter to 24 cupcake liners and bake for 14-19 minutes or per the directions on the back of the box.
Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes in the cupcake tin. Take them out and cool them completely on a wire rack. In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the butter until smooth.
Add the fluff and mix until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully combined.
Add the heavy cream and whip until smooth for 3 minutes. Reserve ⅓ cup on the side for later.
Place the filling into a piping bag fitted with an open round tip (I used Wilton 12). Gently press the tip into the top of the cupcake and squeeze. You will see the cupcake puff up slightly, if you add too much, the cupcake will split. Continue with all of the cupcakes. If any filling starts to come out the top, just scrape it off with a butter knife.
In a heatproof bowl, add the chocolate cups. Warm the heavy cream to scalding 180°F, a pour over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
Add the vanilla and stir to combine.
Take a spoon and add about 1 teaspoon of the ganache on top and roll it around to coat the top of the cupcake. Place them back on the wire rack and let them set up for 15 minutes.
Once set, add the remaining filling to a piping bag fitted with a small round open tip (I used Wilton 2). Pipe curly-q’s on top of each cupcake and serve.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Copcycat Hostess Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- ingredients needed to make the cake: eggs, oil and water
For the filling:
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 7.5 ounces marshmallow creme (marshmallow fluff)
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 5 Tablespoons heavy cream
For the ganache:
- 6 ounces milk chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix 1 box chocolate cake mix along with ingredients needed to make the cake: eggs, oil and water according to the directions on the back of the box.
- Add the cake batter to 24 cupcake liners and bake for 14-19 minutes or per the directions on the back of the box.
- Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes in the cupcake tin. Take them out and cool them completely on a wire rack.
- In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened until smooth.
- Add 7.5 ounces marshmallow creme and mix until smooth.
- Add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar a little at a time until fully combined.
- Add 5 Tablespoons heavy cream and whip until smooth for 3 minutes. Reserve ⅓ cup on the side for the topping.
- Place the filling into a piping bag fitted with an open round tip (I used Wilton 12).
- Gently press the tip into the top of the cupcake and squeeze. You will see the cupcake puff up slightly, if you add too much, the cupcake will split. Continue with all of the cupcakes. If any filling starts to come out the top, just scrape it off with a butter knife.
- In a heatproof bowl, add 6 ounces milk chocolate chips.
- Warm 1/3 cup heavy cream to scalding (180°F), and pour over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and stir to combine.
- Take a spoon and add about 1 teaspoon of this chocolate ganache on top and roll it around to coat the top of the cupcake. Place them back on the wire rack and let them set up for 15 minutes.
- Once set, add the remaining filling to a piping bag fitted with a small round open tip (I used Wilton 2). Pipe curly-q’s on top of each cupcake and serve.
Notes
- If the ganache starts to get too thick while adding the topping, pop the bowl in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen it back up.
- You can use semisweet or dark chocolate chips in place of milk chocolate.
- Best eaten at room temperature but leftovers need to be refrigerated.
- Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 week, freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Could you make this but as a cake instead of cupcakes?
Yes, I don’t see why not! I haven’t tested it so couldn’t give you specifics but it should be fairly easy to do! Please let me know if you try it!!
Thanks so much for the hostess recipes I have made them from this recipe but I’ve made the ding ding layer cake. I do plan 2 try your ding dong recipe single layer.
I really enjoy your recipes.
Sharon