Description

These Homemade Hostess Cupcakes are a delightful treat featuring moist chocolate cupcakes filled with creamy marshmallow fluff, topped with a rich chocolate ganache and finished with a classic white swirled icing. A perfect copycat recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth and impress at any gathering.

Ingredients

Scale

Cupcakes

¾ cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup whole milk
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature

Filling

4 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter, softened (¼ cup)
¼ cup powdered sugar
2 cups marshmallow fluff

Ganache

7 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter, softened (¼ cup)
¾ cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream

White Loop Icing

4 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter, softened (¼ cup)
¾ cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside to prepare your cupcake batter.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside for later use.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk sugar, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla, and eggs until fully combined and smooth.
Combine Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the batter.
Fill Cupcake Liners: Pour the batter into cupcake liners, filling each between ½ to ⅔ full to allow room for rising.
Bake Cupcakes: Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove and let cupcakes cool completely.
Make Filling: Using a handheld mixer on medium speed, cream softened butter until smooth (about 1 minute). Lower speed to low and add powdered sugar in two parts, beating well after each addition. Increase speed to medium and beat for another minute. Then, on low speed, add marshmallow fluff and mix just until combined.
Prepare Filling Bag: Transfer the filling to a quart-size Ziploc bag, squeeze out excess air, and seal.
Core Cupcakes: Using a sharp knife or cupcake corer, cut a quarter-sized circle from the top center of each cooled cupcake and remove the cut portion.
Fill Cupcakes: Snip a small corner off the filling bag, insert it into the hollow of each cupcake, and fill nearly to the top. Replace the removed cupcake top to cap each filled cupcake.
Heat Cream for Ganache: Pour heavy cream into a microwave-safe cup and heat for 30 to 40 seconds until hot but not boiling.
Make Ganache: Place chocolate chips in a heat-safe bowl. Pour hot cream over them and let sit for 1 to 1½ minutes. Stir until smooth, glossy, and fully combined.
Top Cupcakes with Ganache: Spoon approximately ½ to ¾ teaspoon of ganache onto the top of each filled cupcake and spread evenly. Allow to set briefly.
Make White Loop Icing: Cream softened butter in a bowl with a handheld mixer on medium for about 1 minute until smooth. Add vanilla extract and mix for 10 to 15 seconds. Add powdered sugar and mix for 30 seconds; the mixture should resemble white sand. Add heavy cream and beat on medium for 1 minute until smooth.
Prepare Icing Bag: Fill a Ziploc or decorator’s bag fitted with a #5 tip with the white icing.
Pipe Icing Decorative Loops: Hold the bag’s tip ¼ to ½ inch above each cupcake and pipe a steady swirling loop pattern down the center. Repeat until all cupcakes are decorated.

Notes

Ensure eggs and milk are at room temperature for better batter consistency.
Do not overmix the batter once the flour is added to keep the cupcakes tender.
Allow cupcakes to cool completely before filling to avoid melting the filling.
Use a sharp knife or a proper cupcake corer to remove the centers for neat filling pockets.
The ganache can be warmed slightly again if it thickens too much before spreading.
For best piping results, keep the white icing at room temperature to maintain smooth flow.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: homemade hostess cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, marshmallow filling, chocolate ganache, decorated cupcakes