Homemade Hostess cupcakes have the taste and visual appeal of the popular snack cake, but without all of the artificial colors and ingredients. Chocolate cupcakes, stuffed with fluffy cream filling, and decorated with chocolate fudge frosting and a swirl of icing on top.
Who doesn't love playing hostess? I like to imagine one of those 1950's scenes, dress pearls and all with a house full of friends and cute little serving trays rotating through a room filled with chatter. Laughter and great wine keeping the mood light long after the sun it set.
Yeah, that doesn't happen to much these days. Sure, we have guests over, but it's never my perfect color coordinated matching napkin kind of event. By the time I get home from work and get dinner ready for my guests, I'm lucky if there is a fork and knife at each place setting. Not to mention the house is always in a state of disarray from one project to the next and after just the normal cleaning, making a cute tablescape is just not on my to do list. But here's to dreaming that someday I'll get my pearls on and host some of those fancy parties I see on pinterest all day long.
Until then - take a bite out of one of these homemade Hostess cupcakes!
Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
For the Cupcakes:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup canola oil
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cups applesauce
- 8 ounces (1 cup) milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the Filling:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup, plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla
- pinch salt
- 1 ¼ cups marshmallow spread
For the Frosting:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Preparation of homemade Hostess cupcakes:
Blog is the New Black says
Great decorating job! THese look delicious.
Cassie @ Bake Your Day says
Adorable, you did an awesome job recreating these, they look like cupcake perfection to me!
Evan @swEEts says
These are the cutest! And I bet they taste better than the original!
ping says
Oooo ... purty! Oh, I doubt I can ever be such an elegant hostess with pearls and perfect hair. I can see myself all sweaty and frazzled with a stained apron and pots boiling over .... not a nice sight.
Tanya says
These look incredible, just like the ones I remember! Pinned them, so I can make them soon, although I bet they are way better than the originals with less preservatives!
Liz says
Oh, these are gorgeous!!! I've made them...without the squiggle. Yours look SO much better 🙂
Bigbearswife says
hostess cupcakes, cute!
Lauren at Keep It Sweet says
These look amazing... and SO much better than the ones you buy!
Elodie Jane Amora says
These cupcakes look yummy. I love how simple the design is, but I bet these taste amazing! And you added applesauce making them super moist! 🙂
RavieNomNoms says
This is so cute! I have dreams of the 50s too. If only I could stop working and do that...heaven. Your cupcakes look really good and so much better than the ones you get at the store. Nice work Kita!
The Chocolate Priestess says
I've never done a filling on cupcakes like this. I suppose I should try it at some point.
Hester aka The Chef Doc says
You nailed it, Kita! These look just like them but I bet they taste even better since they're homemade 🙂 Awesome job!
Vicky says
These look so much better than real Hostess cupcakes!
Roxana GreenGirl says
i really don't think you need a shopping cart, yours are at least 10 times better looking and delicious than the store bought ones.
Fresh and Foodie says
I want one!
Mike@The Culinary Lens says
Oh my a hostess cup cake with identifiable ingredients.. I think this will be delicious
Priscilla - She's Cookin' says
I can guarantee that the original Hostess cupcakes don't taste nearly as delicious as your homemade ones! Haha, like what you see on Pinterest - one day you'll have the pearls and perfect dinner party 🙂
Ann says
Fantastic! I love the the cupcake part was made with canola oil and apple sauce. I know you had to use butter in other parts - but nice to go healthy where you can! Not only that - they look perfect!
Lindsey@Lindselicious says
I was obssessed with these in college. Damm college 10... ok 15? These look even better than the ones that I used to get from the vending machine.
Chrisitne says
You did a great job on this.
Nikki @ The Tolerant Vegan says
These look perfect! They remind me of childhood but I bet they taste 1000x better than the Hostess kind
Susie says
I still have a place in my heart for hostess cupcakes it reminds me of being little and my mother buying them for me. These obviously look much better than the ones from the store. 🙂
Carolyn says
I used to love Hostess cupcakes when I was a kid. Didn't get to have them very often! Love the homemade version, these are perfect!
Emily @ Life on Food says
These look lovely. I dream of those picture perfect nights, at least I dream about the pearls and high heals. The applesauce makes me believe these are completely healthy, right?
Jenny @ Savour the Senses says
So great! They look delicious, and fancier than regular Hostess cupcakes! I bet making them at home is actually way healthier too. Hopefully Hostess doesn't come after you for copyright infringement =P
Terra says
Congrats on the top on Foodbuzz! These do take you back to childhood, love love that! They look soooo fantastic:-)
Hugs, Terra
Natalie says
I always think the idea of being a hostess is much better than the scary reality! In my perfect party I would be wearing a vintage 50's dress in yellow gingham with matching shoes & a fabulous updo. In reality I would be sweating, not dressed yet and hiding the washing up in the cupboard, ahhh! Cute looking cakes, marshmallow filling, mmm! Congrats on Top 9!
Chef Dennis says
those certainly look like hostess cupcakes down to the squiggly lines on them! I grew up on hostess cupcakes then we moved to the philly area and they only had tastycakes...I grew to love tastycakes, but nothing they made was ever as good as those cupcakes....thank you so much for the recipe, this will be a good one to teach my girls!
Hester Casey @ Alchemy in the Kitchen says
Hostess cupcakes are obviously an American institution. I've never heard of them but these look lovely. The frosting is very simple but very elegant.
Parsley Sage says
Amazing! And well done landing in the Top 9 🙂 These TOTALLY deserve it! Buzzed
Laurie @SimplyScratch says
So creative!! Congrats on the Top 9!!
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says
I am in love with these cuties!! I have seen them on other blogs but not lookin as good as yours! ♥
Adora's Box says
I secretly wish I belonged to that era. I wonder if I would look glamorous just because I was. Everyone then was a perfect hostess. You would be forgiven if you're not if you serve this perfect cupcakes. Congrats on the Top 9!!!
Maggie @ Vittles and Bits says
SO cute! Congrats on top 9, these look delish!
Jamie @ Wokintime says
These look just like the ones I used to love growing up! I would love to make these for my uncle who was the hostess cupcake king - he would always bring these for us as a treat. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Jamie @ Wokintime says
You should do a twinkie cupcake next!
kitchenarian says
My mom used to put these in my lunchbox when I was little, but what you have here is several (hundred) times better than the other ones. I love these.
Arlene says
They sure look like the real deal, maybe a bit smaller. Hard to imagine you've never HAD one!
lwbookeater says
These are so sweet! They really DO bring back childhood memories. Beautiful photography and thank you for sharing!
Ann says
Congratulations on making Food buzz's Top 9! Bravo!
Kim Bee says
Love these. Brings me back to my childhood. Thanks for sharing and hitting top 9.
kankana says
Awww they looks so cute and gorgeous! 🙂
marla says
These cupcakes look awesome, my kids would LOVE them 🙂
Skylar says
Those look amazing!