Inside: A simple recipe to make Hostess Hoho Inspired Cupcakes with the added surprise of Hazelut Filling! Absolutely perfect for birthday parties and tea time treats.
Does anyone else bake when they are stressed? I can’t be just me, right? Dan has been travelling and it feels like since he’s been gone, we got the worst bout of winter weather we’ve had in months. I’m talking blizzard conditions followed by torrential freezing rain, horribly cold temperatures and wicked, face busting winds.
I probably should have cooked something healthy for my family to eat, but instead I found myself pulling out my baking supplies at 4:30pm on a cold and dark Monday to make cupcakes. Judge me. Judge me harshly.
I had zero intention of eating the cupcakes and I was actually just looking for something to do. But when they turned out and were 100% cooled off – I thought it was an opportunity to try my hand at something I’ve always wanted to try. FILLING a cupcake with something delicious and attempting my version of a Homemade Hostess Cupcake!
I have to say, these turned out SO GOOD! The cake is moist and not too crumbly. I experimented with some options for getting a good thin piping of icing to make them look like the Hostess ones. I tried Royal Cookie icing and that was a total fail. It was way too runny. 
I landed on just the small tube of Wilton’s icing and it was okay. I would like to get better at piping this year – but my Carpal Tunnel seems to not want me to do precision work. Oh well. 
I realize the real Hostess Cupcakes have an added layer of chocolate glazing between the cake and the piped icing, but I didn’t remember that until after I made them. 
I went the extra step and cored the centre of my cupcakes and added a tablespoon of the PC Hazelnut spread inside each one and OMG – the flavour only got better! 
Read on for the recipe I used and let me know if you try these. I think you’re gonna love them!
Homemade Hostess Cupcakes with Hazelnut Filling
Deliciously simple cakes inspired by the Hostess Cupcakes of your youth! Perfect for birthday parties and tea time; with the added surprise of hazelnut filling.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup Dutch cocoa
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs (room temp)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 12 tbsp hazelnut filling or Nutella
- Wilton's cookie icing in white
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin or grease and set aside.
- In medium bowl, sift cocoa into the flour. Gently stir in baking powder, salt, baking soda.
- In electric mixer, cream butter on medium speed for about 60 seconds. Beat in the sugar. Add eggs and beat one at a time. Beat in vanilla.
- Add one third of the flour mixture to the mixer until just blended. Then gradually add 1/2 the milk. Repeat these additions ending with the flour mixture blending after each addition.
- Spoon batter into prepared tins. Bake on centre rack for approximately 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely at least four hours (ideally overnight).
- Using a paring knife or apple corer, pull out the centre of each cupcake creating a crevice.
- Fill each cupcake with 1 tbsp hazelnut spread. Replace the cupcake top and push down to seal.
- Pipe icing to disguise cupcake hole in any pattern you want.
Notes
This recipe is adapted from Modern Chatelaine.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 305Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 199mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 2gSugar: 22gProtein: 5g
Looking for tips for how to hollow out a cupcake? Check out this great video!
