Hostess Cupcakes, Home Style!

If you have fond childhood memories (or even more recent!) of Hostess Cupcakes, you can make your own version at home without all the additives and preservatives.  There are a lot of copycat recipes on-line, and many use the same recipe from what original source, I don't know.  So, instead of recycling the same recipe, I'm giving you my own take on how to make a homemade Hostess-style cupcake.

For the cupcake batter, use the Hershey recipe I gave you for the Ultimate Birthday Cake.  When they are cooled, pipe filling into the middle.  Top with a chocolate ganache-type frosting, and then pipe little ringlets of the filling mixture over the top to mimic the Hostess signature look.

Cake (Hershey's recipe)

HERSHEY'S PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups AP flour
3/4 cup Hershey Cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour two 9" round pans.
Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.  Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on med. speed 2 minutes.  Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). 

Carefully fill paper-lined cupcake pans with batter, each cup half full.  Bake for 20-22 minutes or until center springs back when pressed.

Cool completely on wire rack, at least an hour.

Make filling:

Cream together: 
1/2 bar butter, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons milk, a tablespoon at a time (or enough to make it a smooth and creamy consistency) 
(Reserve about 1/2 cup of filling to pipe on top of frosted cupcakes.)

Fill piping bag with filling.  Use a tip with a large opening (star or writing).  Make a slit in center of cooled cupcakes with a very small knife, about half way down.  Poke tip of pastry bag into slit and gently put pressure on pastry bag until about a tablespoon of filling has been added (filling just begins to pop up at surface).  If the cupcake cracks a bit, it's OK.  You'll cover that with the chocolate frosting. 

For the Ganache Frosting:

12 ounces chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Heat cream and butter in small saucepan until it just begins to bubble around edges and is hot.  Pour over chocolate chips in medium-sized bowl.  Let sit until chocolate starts to melt, and stir in vanilla.  Stir well to blend and let cool until it is of spreading consistency.   Ice cupcakes.  Using a writing tip, pipe little ringlets across each.

Photo credit: http://art.newcity.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/hostess-cupcakes.jpg