Cookwithus Week #8-Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes

When I was a child I would occasionally read Archie comics and there would be advertisements for Hostess chocolate cupcakes. When I saw a picture of them I was intrigued and I had to taste one. One bite of of the cupcake and I was hooked. The soft, fluffy cake with the artificial creme filling and the slightly firm chocolate icing on top with the white swirls was a winner. I don't eat them as much anymore because I know they are not healthy and anything with a "cream" filling that is shelf stable for over a year cannot be made with fresh ingredients. For this week's @cookwithus challenge for Guilty Pleasures, I had to replicate the chocolate cupcakes, but one that is better for me, yet will still satisfy me as my guilty pleasure. I decided to make a vegan version of this treat. The only step that has to be done in advance is to place the coconut milk in the refrigerator the night before you plan on making this recipe. Let's get started!

This chocolate cake mix is very simple to make and you can substitute the water and non diary milk with coffee, orange juice or flavored tea.

Chocolate Cupcake

yields 12

• 192g All purpose flour
• 195g light brown Sugar
• 25g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 82g canola oil or any neutral oil
• 100g water
• 136g Non dairy milk
• 1 tsp vanilla Extract
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, dark brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, combine the water, non dairy milk, oil, vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Using a 2oz scooper, place one level scoop of batter into each cavity. I like to use an ice cream scooper to help me portion the batter because you will get the same size cupcakes. Bake the cupcakes in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes come out dry. Let the cupcakes cool completely.

Take a sharp knife and carefully cut a circle in center of the cupcakes. Using the back of a wooden stirring spoon, gently press down the sides and center of the cake to make more room for the filling. Trim the cake from the cutouts, saving the tops of the cake.

Coconut Cream Filling

• 114g coconut cream, refrigerated overnight.
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract.

Place all of the ingredients into a medium sized bowl and whip until firm. I like the coconut cream lightly sweetened since the cake, glaze and icing are all sweet components. If you want the cream to be sweeter, you can add another tablespoon of sugar before whipping it. Using a small spoon, fill each cupcake with the coconut cream and cover with the reserved tops. Place in the refrigerator while you make the glaze.

Chocolate Ganache

• 100g 70% dark chocolate, chopped small
• 100g coconut milk, heated

Place the chopped chocolate into a small bowl and pour the hot coconut milk over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for 1-2 minutes to soften the chocolate. Gently stir the chocolate and coconut milk until the mixture is smooth and homogenized.

Take each cupcake and invert the top into the ganache, coating the entire surface. Set aside for the ganache to firm up. It's easier to coat the tops of the cupcakes when the cupcakes are cold and the ganache is warm. If the ganache starts to set before you finish coating all of the cupcakes, you can rewarm the ganache over low heat.

White Swirl

• 30g confectioner's sugar
• 6g coconut milk
• generous pinch of salt

Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. I like to make the icing slightly salty to help balance the overall sweetness of the cupcakes. Place the ingredients into a icing bag and pipe swirls across the center of the cupcakes. Instead of piping swirls, you can also drizzle the icing over the tops or skip this step. The cupcakes will still taste incredibly decadent without the swirls.

Thank you @offoodandart, @pandamama, and @chefsteve for inspiring to make this incredible version of my guilty pleasure.