These Copycat Hostess Creme-Filled Cupcakes are a dream come true.

A classic treat that was born in 1919, Hostess cupcakes have been a staple in lunch-pails and vending machines for decades. When Hostess left the bakery world briefly due to bankruptcy, they also left a whole in American culture for several months. More on that here. However, with the great internet cooking age upon us, brave home cooks and bakers alike can re-create these incredible treats at home and in such a delicious way you’ll want to leave the mass produced ones, frankly, in the dust.

Making Copycat Hostess Creme-Filled Cupcakes at home is fairly easy; the most laborious part is just cutting out the tops of the cupcakes and filling them with a rich, fluffy filling. This step goes fast when you have a helping hand. When you re-create that classic white swirl on top, get ready for a wave of nostalgia; don’t worry about getting it just right, the imperfect homemade look just makes the swirl all the more fun and playful.

Once you take that first bite into one of these homemade delights, you will be in chocolate cupcake heaven! Everyone will rave about these treats, their moist chocolate cake, plentiful sweet filling (because you always wish Hostess put more of it in there), and the melted chocolate frosting is ten times better tasting than their mass produced counterparts.

Have fun making Copycat Hostess Creme-Filled Cupcakes; make it a family affair! It’s as simple as baking up two batches of chocolate cupcakes, cutting into the center, filling with, well, filling, putting the tops back on and smothering with a chocolate glaze and finishing off the tops with a few swirls of white filling.

Once you make these, you’ll want another batch the next day. They are definitely diet destroyers (ask me how I know) because they’re soooo stinking amazingly delicious. NO EXAGGERATIONS. I’d love to hear your thoughts and please rate the recipe along with your comment. Enjoy!

Copycat Hostess Creme-Filled Cupcakes

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• Author: Emily
• Total Time: 1 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 24 cupcakes 1x

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Description

One taste of these Copycat Hostess Creme-Filled Cupcakes and you’ll be in chocolate cupcake heaven. Without a doubt, these homemade versions are ten times as delicious as anything purchased from a supermarket, and they’re a sure hit at your next backyard barbecue or game day party.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Cake

• 1 box of Devil’s Food chocolate cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil

Filling

• 6 tablespoons water
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into individual tablespoons, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla 
• 2 (7 oz.) jars of marshmallow creme

Frosting

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

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Instructions

1. Move oven racks to the upper and lower middle positions. Set your oven to 350 degrees F and prepare two muffin tins by spraying generously with cooking spray.
2. Mix up the cake batter according to package directions. Fill muffin cups 1/2 full with batter. Place in the oven and bake according to directions, rotating top to bottom and front to back half way through. Dump freshly baked cupcakes out and set them upright to cool. 
3. Prepare filling by mixing water and gelatin and letting in a microwave safe bowl. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes, then microwave for about 45 seconds until bubbly. Whisk in butter and vanilla until smooth. Let cool 10 minutes and whisk in marshmallow creme. Cover and chill for 40 minutes to set.
4. While filling chills in the fridge, prepare frosting by combining chocolate chips and unsalted butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on 1/2 power for about 2 minutes, or until mixture is smooth when melted. Set aside.

Assembly

1. Fill cooled cupcakes by cutting down from the tops with a sharp knife just inside the edges to form a cone shape. Remove ‘cake cone’ and cut off pointy end. Replace the top so it doesn’t get mixed up with another cupcake. OR, if you have a pastry filling tip, skip step one.
2. Fill pastry bag with 3/4 the filling. Fill each cupcake with approximately 2 tablespoons of creme, replacing the tops if necessary.
3. Drizzle chocolate frosting over each cupcake and smooth over the cut seams. Change pastry tip to small circle, and using filling, pipe on the signature white swirls over the top. The cupcake can be eaten right away (very tempting) but can also be placed in the fridge, uncovered for about 30 minutes to set the chocolate frosting for easier storage. If covering cupcakes with plastic wrap, be sure to spray the underside of it with cooking spray or the while swirls will stick.

• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cupcake
• Calories: 201
• Sugar: 12.1 g
• Sodium: 71 mg
• Fat: 13.4 g
• Saturated Fat: 6.1 g
• Carbohydrates: 18.7 g
• Protein: 1.8 g
• Cholesterol: 38 mg