Hostess with the Most-est!

You know 'em. You love 'em. Those delicious chocolate-y, creamy cupcakes with the cute little curlicues piped across the top. That's right, the famous Hostess cupcake!

I have memories of these things in my lunchbox as a kid ... the way to chocolate glaze stretched and the filling spilled over the moist crumbs when you pulled them apart. Yum! But who would have thought that you could create these little treasures at home? Well, America's Test Kitchen, of course! When I found this recipe on The Feed, I couldn't resist (just like I couldn't resist tearing into the plastic wrapper as a kid!). But I never imagined how much BETTER these cupcakes would be homemade!

No joke, these were abolsutely the most delicious chocolate cupcakes I've ever made (and ever eaten!) in my entire life. The cake itself was super moist and produced the perfect crumb, the filling was sweet and smooth, and the glaze was thick, chocolate-y goodness!

Note that I made one minor modification from the Test Kitchen's recipe ... they called for marshmallow fluff in the filling, but something about that didn't sound great to me. I remembered that I have a pumpkin cupcake recipe that has an amazing cream filling, so I decided to use that instead! The result? Perfect filling without the mystery marshmallow mix!

These cupcakes leave those plastic-wrapped cakes in the dust! Pack these in your lunchbox and I guarantee you'll thank me :)

Chocolate Cream-Filled Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For Cupcakes
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup boiling water
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

For Filling
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup shortening
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar

For Glaze
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with foil or paper liners.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk water, cocoa, and chocolate chips until smooth. Add sugar, sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla and mix until combined. Whisk in flour mixture until incorporated. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Cool cupcakes in tin 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack and cool completely.

To prepare filling, combine cornstarch and milk in a small saucepan until smooth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, cream shortening, butter, and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add cornstarch mixture and beat until smooth.

Using a sharp knife, cut a 1-inch circle about 1-inch deep in the center of each cupcake. Carefully remove tops and set aside. Spoon or pipe filling into cupcakes. Replace tops.

To prepare chocolate glaze, microwave chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons butter in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 30 seconds. Cool glaze to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Frost each cupcake with 2 teaspoons cooled glaze.

To prepare white glaze, microwave white chips and remaining tablespoon butter in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 30 seconds. Cool glaze to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Spoon cool filling into small zip top bag, snip a small point from the end, and pipe curlicues on the top of each cupcake.