I have seen these cute Hostess inspired cupcakes popping up on Tastespotting and Foodgawker for quite some time, but I successfully withstood the peer pressure to make them until now!
Ya see, Bri is a serious cupcake fanatic, and always wants chocolate on chocolate, but being a food blogger I am not really one to repeat recipes. So when he requested his BORING chocolate on chocolate combo for the 1,263rd time, I decided to make these babies as a way to please him, but also try a new recipe.
A quick search on Foodgawker led me to the recipe for the filling and ganache. I used the recipe off the Hershey’s Cocoa can for the cake and used the other recipes found on Beantown Baker’s blog.
The filling is essentially Seven Minute Frosting. The icing is a simple ganache. But when all of these elements combine, they make one amazing cupcake. Plus, the Hostess swirls and surprise filling will bring a smile to anyone’s face.
These were loved by all and I thought they looked super adorable, especially with my beloved chocolate brown cupcake liners! Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping by!

Hostess Inspired Cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the Cake
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY’S 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
For the Filling
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Ganache Frosting
1/4 cup cream
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used semi-sweet)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake tins with paper baking cups.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared cupcake pans; 2/3 full
3. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes. (I got 26 cupcakes)
4. While waiting for cupcakes to cool, combine filling ingredients with a pinch of salt in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and beat with a handheld electric mixer at high speed until frosting is thick and fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat until slightly cooled. Reserve 1/2 cup of the filling to use for piping the swirls on top of the cupcakes at the end.
5.Once cupcakes are completely cooled, use the cone method (click here for Beantown’s post on this technique) to fill with filling.
6. Once all cupcakes are filled, make the ganache. In a small saucepan, heat cream until steaming. Remove from the heat, add chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the butter and stir until smooth. Transfer the frosting 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 swirls across the center of each cupcake. Refrigerate the cupcakes for 10 minutes to set the frosting.
Notes:
- I doubled the ganache frosting recipe
adapted from Beantown Baker
All images and text ©Follow Jamie on Instagram. We love to see what you're baking from MBA! Be sure to tag @jamiemba and use the hashtag #mbarecipes!
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Susan
Monday 9th of December 2019
I made these and they turned out great! I actually made these twice-once using a box cake mix. Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Jamie
Thursday 12th of December 2019
So happy to hear you enjoyed the cupcakes, Susan! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback! -Jamie
Lin
Tuesday 26th of February 2019
The filling is the BEST!! I was on the search for the filling recipe that tasted just like suzy'Q. I found it here...thank you..thank you.
Jamie
Tuesday 5th of March 2019
So happy to hear you enjoyed the filling recipe, Lin! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback! -Jamie
Leslie Pieper-McQueen
Tuesday 17th of December 2013
I have a cupcake blog called My Year of Cupcakes. I featured your Hostess Inspired Cupcake recipe on Day 127. Here's the link if you wanna take a look: http://myyearofcupcakes.com/2013/12/05/day-127-hostess-inspired-chocolate-cupcakes/
Thanks for the adorable recipe!
Rebecca
Monday 4th of February 2013
Love this recipe...would like to try it this weekend as i have a birthday party to cater too but i dont own a handheld mixer only a fullsize kitchen aid mixer. Any suggestions on how to go about making the filling with out the handheld option? Would I have to use a standard whisk instead?
MBA
Thursday 11th of April 2013
Rebecca- I would use the full size mixer with a whisk attachment for this. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! -Jamie
erica
Thursday 16th of September 2010
so i just made these and they are soooo good! the only thing is i would personally recommend using semi sweet chocolate for the ganache and not the bittersweet. it was not as sweet as i expected but still very good!! def worth the time to make these