{recipe} Homemade Hostess Cupcakes

My friend Laura likes chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting. I told her husband I would surprise her with a very special version of that flavor combination so I made her some homemade Hostess cupcakes. These are fun because they look like a boring chocolate cupcake with shiny glaze, but they have a surprise inside- a big yummy blob of vanilla frosting!

The question everyone asks is… how do you get the frosting inside? Once the cupcakes have cooled, you can make the frosting and put it into a large pastry bag with a big star tip. Turn the cupcakes upside down, shove the star tip into their behinds, and squeeze. The cupcake has some air pockets in it, so there is a surprising amount of space for the frosting. You will be able to feel when it’s “full” and the tip will sort of pop out.

Once you’ve filled them all, you can pass over with a knife to clean up any excess icing. To put the glaze on, I take the filled cupcakes and gently swirl them in the warm chocolate glaze. You have to use the glaze at about 100 degrees F or it won’t set properly. Since 100 degrees is just above body temperature, there is an easy way to test for 100F without a thermometer. Dab a little glaze in the indentation that’s just below the middle of your lower lip (a very sensitive part of the body that interprets temperature well.) The glaze should feel just slightly warm but not too hot.

To make the designs on top, just hold out a little of the vanilla frosting in a bowl. Thin it out with milk a bit and put it in a ziploc bag. Cut a small hole and start looping. If you really want it to look right, with the chocolate and the loops melded together, prepare your bag of piping icing before you start the glaze process and do it right away. Then the loosened vanilla frosting will melt into the glaze a bit and look authentic. Since she’s a Laura I made the loop-de-loops more L-like in her honor.

I have also made these with a filling more akin to a whoopie pie filling, which is also a very good way to go, and even more Hostess-like.

Here are the recipes to go with the process described above:

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

makes 18 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 cup cake flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 5 1/2 Tblsp butter, cut in pieces
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Method:

• Heat oven to 375. Prepare cupcake pans with foil liners and nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, sift together sugar, flour, salt, and baking soda.
• Over low heat, warm the butter, oil, cocoa powder, and water, until the butter is melted. Whisk until smooth.
• Stir the warm liquids into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula to fully combine.
• Add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and stir until smooth. You may need to use a whisk to get it completely smooth.
• Fill cupcake liners to 3/4 full. Bake about 15 minutes until center of cupcakes spring back when you touch them. Cool completely before filling.

Vanilla Frosting Filling

The secret to making this frosting light and fluffy is just to beat the hell out of it.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• about 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Method:

• Put butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat a few minutes on high, until very creamy.
• Add remaining powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and continue beating until thick and creamy. Add more powdered sugar as needed to get the desired thickness.
• Keep beating on high for about 5 more minutes and the frosting will be fluffy as a cloud!
• This icing will harden if chilled, so use at room temperature and don’t make it too far in advance of when you’ll be using it.

Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cut in pieces
• 1 Tblsp corn syrup

Method:

• Heat everything together in a saucepan over very low heat so you don’t burn the chocolate. When the chocolate is about half melted, turn off heat and keep stirring to fully melt.
• Use this at about 100 degrees F or it won’t set properly. Since 100 degrees is just above body temperature, there is an easy way to test for 100F without a thermometer. Dab a little glaze in the indentation that’s just below the middle of your lower lip (a very sensitive part of the body that interprets temperature well.) The glaze should feel just slightly warm but not too hot.