Two-Bite Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 24
 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup hot brewed coffee
  • 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • *1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • *3 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • *3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
  • *1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • **3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • **1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 325. Line a mini-muffin pan with paper liners and then lightly spray over the whole lined pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, pour the hot coffee over the chocolate, let it stand for about a minute, and then stir with a fork until smooth. Mine had lumps at the bottom and wasn’t so pretty at first; don’t worry.
  3. Set the chocolate aside and in a large bowl beat the egg until it’s frothy- about 30 seconds. Add the sour cream, vanilla, and oil. Then beat in the chocolate.
  4. In another large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, unsweetened cocoa, and sugar.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, making sure to scrape down the sides. Use a tablespoon to portion the batter into the prepared mini-muffin cups.
  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes; a pick inserted into the center will come out clean, or with just a few sticky crumbs, The tops will be a little bit springy to the touch. Let the cupcakes cool completely.
  7. While the cupcakes cool, make the "cream filling" which, for me is just super great vanilla buttercream. Beat the butter for just a minute to smooth it out.
  8. Then beat in the confectioner’s sugar a cup at a time, mixing until smooth in between each addition. Add the heavy cream a tablespoon at a time, beating until smooth in between each addition until you’ve reached your desired consistency.
  9. Beat in the vanilla.
  10. To start the assembly, use a tiny paring knife cut the middles out of your tiny cupcakes. The cupcakes will be really soft and this part won’t look perfect. It’s fine. Just use clean fingers to gently press and shape the opening in the top of the cupcake, but not too much. The frosting will fill it and there will be glaze to cover all this up.
  11. Fit a pastry bag with a good tip for filling (I used a Wilton star tip 22; smaller would work though- keep in mind you'll be using the same bag to pipe the curly-cues across the top). **SEE NOTE
  12. Fill the tiny cakes with the vanilla buttercream just to the top (try not to go over the lip of the opening).
  13. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan heat the heavy cream until it simmers. Remove it from the heat and stir in the ¾ cup chocolate chips. Whisk until smooth.
  14. Spoon the chocolate glaze onto each cupcake, using the back of the spoon to smooth it out.
  15. If your chocolate ganache starts to cool too much and won't spread easily, return it to the burner and heat it just a little, stirring constantly.
  16. After you spooned the chocolate glaze over the cupcakes, refrigerate them for a few minutes, to let the ganache set up. Then use the pastry bag to pipe the little swirl across the top of each cake using the last ¼ of the buttercream.
Notes
** If you do not have a pastry bag, a ziploc bag with the corner lobbed off works wonders.
Recipe by Sugar Dish Me at https://www.sugardishme.com/two-bite-homemade-hostess-cupcakes/