Variation: Ultimate Chocolate Butter Cake or UCBC
Food styling and photo by Kelly Hong © Sarah Phillips
Remember Hostess Cupcakes? Well, you can make your own. My own kids just love this recipe and I recommend it highly for yours! I have included a more traditional filling and trademark swirl recipe. Alternatively, Kelly filled hers with a cream filling made from the Seven Minute Vanilla Bean Icing. She used the same to pipe the swirls and the Cupcakes – Fill Using the Cone Method for more filling. This recipe instructs you to fill the cupcakes from the bottom, another method, which results in less filling.
CAKE RECIPE HELP
CUPCAKES
1 recipe Ultimate Chocolate Butter Cake Cupcakes or UCBC, baked and cooled
FILLING
INGREDIENTS
2 cups vegetable shortening
2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
10 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole or 2% milk
CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE
1 recipe Chocolate Ganache Glaze, see instructions, below
WHITE ICING SWIRL
INGREDIENTS
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water
INSTRUCTIONS
Filling:
1. In a medium bowl, place the shortening and vanilla extract, and with mixer, set on low, add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until smooth.
2. Gradually add only enough milk and beat until light and fluffy with the mixer on medium-high.
3. Fit a small pastry bag with a 1/4- inch star tip, and fill with filling mixture.
4. To fill each cupcake, hold one in your hand, plunge the tip into the bottom of the cake, pushing it about 1/2 inch deep.
As you withdraw the pastry bag from the cupcake, gently squeeze and fill the cupcake with a small amount. When you remove the pastry bag, clean any left over filling from the top.
5. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. Chill filled cupcakes in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before topping with icing.
The filling recipe does not need refrigeration.
Chocolate ganache glaze:
1. Make the Chocolate Ganache Glaze.
2. Pour into chocolate and stir until chocolate is completely melted. and smooth. When the chocolate has cooled to tepid (about 100 degrees F), quickly dip the tops of the cupcakes into the icing and remove.
3. Chill cupcakes for a few minutes to firm chocolate. Do not store cupcakes in the refrigerator, otherwise the chocolate will turn dull.
White icing swirl:
1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and enough water to make a spreadable icing; you do not want it too watery.
2. To make squiggles on the top of the cupcakes, spoon filling into a small pastry bag or parchment cone fitted with a small round writing tip. Make looped lines across the top of each cupcake; the original Hostess cupcake has 7 loops. (You make your own pastry bag by spooning icing into a small plastic bag, cut off a small portion of one bottom corner and gently squeeze icing through hole.)
STORAGE
Store cupcakes at room temperature for a few days in a cake keeper or a resealable container.
