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Copy Cat "Hostess" Cupcakes

This is a filled cupcake that you can decorate to look just like the ones in the grocery aisle. Not only are they fun to make but are delicious.
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Ingredients
  

For The Cake

  • ¼ Cup Flour sifted
  • ¾ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
  • ½ Cup Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 3 Tablespoons Butter softened
  • 1 Cup Milk 2 % or whole
  • ⅛ Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • ¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder

For The Filling

  • ⅔ Cup Shortening
  • 2 Teaspoon Vanilla
  • ¼ Teaspoon Salt
  • 5 Tablespoons Milk
  • 4 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar

For The Ganache Topping

  • 8 Oz. Bittersweet Chocolate
  • ½ Cup Cream or Half/Half
  • 2 ½ Tablespoons Butter

For The Swirl Decoration

  • 1 Tube White Piping Gel

Instructions
 

Cake Instructions

  • Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl, set aside.
  • Cream butter and both sugars (white/brown) together until creamy.
  • Add 1 egg in at a time, mix in the vanilla and milk until all are incorporated.
  • Add ¼ cup of the flour/cocoa mixture at a time and mix, scraping down sides each time.
  • Fill baking cups ¾ full (not anymore more) with the mixture.
  • Bake at 365 for 15 minutes.

Filling Instructions

  • Make sure your cupcake is completely cooled.
  • Beat all together on high for 2 minutes and put in a piping bag with a round tip, or you can use a freezer ziplock bag with corner cut).
  • Cut a quarter-sized hole out of the top of each cupcake (saving the top).
  • Squeeze a bit of the frosting into each cupcake, and put the top back on the cupcake.

Chocolate Ganache Topping Instructions:

  • Melt all together in a double boiler (a medium saucepan with 2 cups water/metal bowl sitting on top).
  • Pour 1 tablespoon of the Hot Chocolate Ganache over the top of each cupcake and let it cool.
  • Once the ganache is cooled, pipe small continuous circles over the top creating the design.

Notes

I had no white piping gel so I simply took some of the leftover filling and added enough sugar to thicken it and it easily piped onto the ganache 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!