taste of tuesday: hostess cupcakes (copy cat)

taste of tuesday is back! I know you've been missing it...esp my dad who always make fun of me. I've got a ton of recipes so it'll be T of T overload for a few days until my recipe box has been cleared.

Growing up, I loved the hostess cream filled chocolate cupcakes. I'd choose them every time over the Twinkies and snowballs. I made these cupcakes for my SIL's bridal shower back in march, hence he "love" instead of the signature white swirls. Tasted pretty close to the original, minus the cream filling. If you've got a good cream filling recipe, please share.

Hostess Cupcakes (copy cat)

for cupcake:

(my baking addiction)

Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package devil’s food cake mix


• 1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix


• 1 cup sour cream


• 1 cup vegetable oil


• 4 eggs


• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


• 1 tablespoon instant espresso granules


• 1/2 cup warm water

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs, and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine instant espresso granules and warm water, stirring until dissolved. Add espresso mixture to the cake batter and stir until fully incorporated.

3. Using a large cookie scoop, distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells; about 3 tablespoons of batter per well.

4. Measure .4 ounce balls of cookie dough (about 1 teaspoon) and drop a ball of dough into each cupcake. Be sure to use a spoon to completely cover the dough ball with batter.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick entered into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

6. Remove cupcakes from muffin tins and allow to fully cool on a wire rack. Once cupcakes are cool, prepare your frosting.

for filling:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or shortening, at room temperature


• 1 cup powdered sugar


• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


• 3 tablespoons heavy cream


• 1 cup marshmallow creme

blend all ingredients together and pipe into cooled cupcakes

for ganache:

• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate


• 1 cup heavy cream


• 1 tablespoon butter


• 1 teaspoon vanilla

pour chocolate chips in a bowl. set aside. heat cream over medium heat until steams (do not boil). pour over chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes. add butter and vanilla and stir until smooth. dip cooled cupcakes and let harden.