Fauxstess Cupcakes

 Now, if you want to tell someone you love them, what could be a better way than to write it on a homemade hostess cupcake!?  I'm not sure about you, but it would totally win me over.  The direct route to my heart is through my stomach..and these knock offs are even better than the store bought kind.  Moist chocolate cake filled with homemade marshmallow creme makes for a delicious treat and these honestly cannot get any cuter! 

The first time I saw these, I knew I had to make them.  A cupcake doesn't always have to be topped with a mountain of frosting to make it good (although it definitely helps), but the rich ganache topping with the light and marshmallow filling in these make for an amazing combination.  The folks at Hostess knew what they were doing when they crafted these, and the first person who decided to make a homemade version is truly a genius (it says a lot when you can make something better than the original).  And hey, you can really use any old excuse to whip these up...birthdays, the fast approaching Valentine's Day, just for fun..whatever your reason, these are definitely a must try!  Even better is that they aren't too labor intensive and the results are well worth the effort.  The true test will be your willpower while waiting for them to chill...talk about a challenge!  But, once the wait time is up and you take your first bite, you actually might die they are so good...but don't say I didn't warn you! 

For these cupcakes I used Martha Stewart's "One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes" because I knew I would be dirtying many more bowls than just this one.  This was my first time using this recipe and the cupcakes came out perfectly!  Afterall, Martha knows best.

Cupcakes:

YIELDS
18

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 large eggs

• 3/4 cup warm water

• 3/4 cup buttermilk

• 3 tablespoons safflower oil

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.

• Sift cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth.

• Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to wire racks, and let cool. Cupcakes will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.

And for the filling and frosting, I used the recipe from Annie's Eats.

Filling:

• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

• 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

• ¾ cup Marshmallow Fluff

• 1 ½ tbsp. plus 1 tsp. heavy cream

Directions:

• In a medium bowl beat together the butter, confectioners’ sugar, Marshmallow Fluff and 1 ½ tablespoons of the heavy cream until fluffy.  
• Reserve ½ cup of the mixture – transfer the rest to a pastry bag fitted with a ¼ – inch round tip. Beat the remaining 1 teaspoon of cream into the reserved ½ cup of filling, cover and reserve. 
• Gently insert the tip of the pastry bag about ½ – inch deep into the top of each cupcake and lightly squeeze in some of the filling.

Frosting:

• ¼ cup heavy cream

• 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

• To make the frosting, in a small saucepan heat cream over medium heat until steaming, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the butter and stir until smooth. 
•  Transfer to a small bowl and dip the top of each cupcake to thoroughly coat. Spoon the reserved filling into a pastry bag fitted with a very small plain tip and pipe curlicues across the center of each cupcake. Refrigerate the cupcakes for 10 minutes to set the frosting.

Sources: Martha Stewart, Annie's Eats

 

For the vegan version, click here!