I tried my hand at the Hostess Cupcakes. Very cute and yummy!
I made these for my friend Laura's birthday. I thought it would be fun because she was having an 80's themed slumber party. We played fun music and watched Say Anything and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. We had some games to play and just had lots of girl talk! The dessert was a big hit later into the evening...did I mention lots of wine was poured? Pretty sure I never went to a slumber party that booze was allowed....sure made it fun!
Cream-Filled Cupcakes
(adapted from Family Circle)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (minus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter,softened
2 tablespoons shortening
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
filling and swirl:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter,softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk
glaze:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
- Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to blend. Combine vanilla and buttermilk in a measuring cup.
- Beat the butter,shortening, and sugar in bowl with mixer on medium high until light and fluffy (this will take a while,but key to an airy cake). Add the eggs one at a time, beating gently. Add flour mixture alternating with buttermilk, starting and ending with flour mixture.
- Divide the batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick testing cake comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes (every oven is different- mine runs hot, so I shorten my baking times by 3-5 minutes). Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and place on wire racks to cool completely.
- Filling and Swirl: Beat butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add confectioners sugar little by little. Add 2 tablespoons of milk and beat for 5 minutes. Add additional milk if becomes too thick. Spoon icing into piping bag with round tip. Insert piping bag into cake 1/2 deep (another method would be to cut out a little of the top into an 1/2 in diameter circle, fill the cake then pop the circle back on) and squeeze.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze: Heat the cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until it comes to boil. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth.
- Dip the tops of the filled cakes into the chocolate glaze. Place back on the rack to cool for another 10 minutes.
- Change the piping tip of the frosting to a smaller round tip. Pipe decorative swirls on top of the glazed cupcakes.
