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Air Fryer Copycat Hostess Cupcakes

Copycat Hostess Cupcakes (Oven or Air Fryer)

4.86 from 7 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Cooling Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 20 Servings

Description

Moist chocolate cupcakes with a marshmallow cream center, glossy chocolate ganache, and the signature white swirl. Bake them in the oven in about 18 minutes or the air fryer in about 10.

Ingredients 

Cupcakes

  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water, or boiling coffee

Marshmallow Cream Filling

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup marshmallow creme
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream

Chocolate Ganache

  • 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate baking bar, finely chopped
  • ½ cup heavy cream

Instructions

Make the batter

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
  • In a second large bowl, whisk together the sugar, heavy cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until combined. Whisk in the boiling water until smooth. The batter will be thin; this is correct.

To bake in the oven

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and fill each two-thirds full.
  • Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then completely on a wire rack.

To air fry

  • Preheat the air fryer to 325°F on the air fry setting for 3 minutes. Fill silicone liners or an air-fryer-safe muffin tin two-thirds full.
  • Air fry 9 to 10 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Work in batches, leaving about ½ inch between liners. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Fill, glaze, and swirl

  • Filling: Beat the butter with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the marshmallow creme and beat to combine. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add 3 tablespoons of cream, mix on low, then beat on medium about 2 minutes until fluffy. Add another tablespoon of cream if it's too stiff to pipe.
  • Fill: Transfer the filling to a piping bag with a long narrow tip, reserving about a quarter for the swirls. Insert the tip into the center of each cooled cupcake and squeeze gently until you feel it swell slightly.
  • Ganache: Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream just until it simmers, pour it over the chocolate, and let sit 4 to 5 minutes without stirring. Whisk from the center outward until smooth and glossy.
  • Glaze: Dip the top of each cupcake into the ganache, twisting slightly as you lift. Let set about 15 minutes.
  • Swirl: Using the reserved filling and a small round tip, pipe seven continuous loops across the top of each cupcake.

Equipment

  • Muffin tin and paper liners (oven)
  • Air fryer with silicone liners or an air-fryer-safe muffin tin
  • Hand Mixer
  • Piping bags with a long filling tip and a small round tip

Notes

  • Convection oven: 325°F for 15 to 18 minutes.
  • Flatter tops in the oven: 325°F for 20 to 23 minutes.
  • Air fryer ovens: use the middle or bottom rack and check at 10 to 11 minutes.
  • Air fryer runs hot? Drop to 310–315°F and add 2 to 3 minutes.
  • No filling tip? Cut a 1-inch-deep cone from the center, fill, and press the top back on.
  • Chocolate: chop a baking bar, not chips.
  • Total heavy cream: about 1¾ cups across all components. Buy a pint.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 392kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 4gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 137mgPotassium: 141mgFiber: 2gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 395IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 2mg