Not Your Hostess Cupcakes !
What You'll Need
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup boiling water
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (minis melt better)
- 1 TB instant espresso or instant coffee powder
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup whole sour cream
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 TB water
- ¾ tsp unflavored gelatin
- 4 TB butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 1¼ cups marshmallow creme
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 3 TB butter
CUPCAKES:
FILLING:
GLAZE:
How to Make It
- BATTER: Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat to 325F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with your favorite liners. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together boiling water, cocoa, mini chocolate chips, and coffee powder until smooth. Add sugar, sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla, mixing until combined. Gently fold in dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, just until combined - do not over mix. Divide bater evenly among muffin cups. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of cupcakes comes out with a few tender crumbs attached, about 18 min. Cool cupcakes in tin for 10 min. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
- FILLING: Combine water and gelatin in a large bowl and let sit until gelatin soaks up the water, 1 min. Microwave for 10 seconds at a time, until mixture starts bubbling around edges and gelatin is dissolved. Stir in butter, vanilla, and salt until combined. Let mixture cool until just warm to the touch. Whisk in marshmallow creme until smooth. Chill about 30 minutes or until set. Transfer ⅓ cup or the filling to a pastry bag or ziploc bag with a tiny hole cut off the corner. Set aside remaining filling.
- ASSEMBLE: In a bowl, microwave chocolate chips and butter until smooth, stirring occasionally, 30 seconds. Let glaze cool to room temp; should be very glossy and thick syrup-like consistency. Hold a sharp knife at a 45 degree angle about ¼ inch from edge of cupcake top. Cut out a cone shape from each cupcake. Fill cupcakes with just enough filling to leave a 1 cm margin from the top. Replace the tops and frost with a generous layer of chocolate glaze. Let cool. Using the marshmallow-filled pastry bag, pipe design across tops of glazed cupcakes. Serve.
- (Note: Finished cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at a moderate room temp for 1-2 days.)