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Homemade chocolate hostess cupcakes with ganache and curly white icing.

High Altitude Homemade Chocolate Hostess Cupcakes

Heather Smoke
These homemade hostess cupcakes feature moist chocolate cupcakes, filled with fluffy marshmallow cream filling, rich chocolate ganache, and the iconic curly white icing on top.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.

5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings15

Equipment

  • Cupcake Pan + 15 Paper Liners
  • Disposable Piping Bag + Coupler and Tips 3 and 12

Ingredients
 

Chocolate Cupcakes

Marshmallow Filling and Icing

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp meringue powder, optional
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 6 oz (1 1/2 cups) marshmallow fluff or creme

Ganache

  • 3 oz semi sweet or dark chocolate, chopped
  • 3 oz heavy whipping cream

Instructions
 

Chocolate Cupcakes

Marshmallow Filling

  • With an electric mixer, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and meringue powder and beat on low for 1 minute until combined. Add the vanilla.
    Increase the speed to medium and beat for several minutes until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl down occasionally.
  • Add the marshmallow fluff, and beat until well combined.
  • Use a cupcake corer or sharp knife to remove the centers of the cooled cupcakes.
  • Fit a piping bag with a coupler and tip 12, and fill with the marshmallow filling. Pipe the filling into the center of the cupcakes. You'll also be using the marshmallow filling for the curly icing on top, so set it aside until needed.
  • Take the centers of the cupcakes that you removed, and press a small piece of cake back on top of the filling to seal the top, before you dip them in the ganache.

Ganache

  • Finely chop the chocolate and scrape it into a bowl.
  • Pour the cream into a small saucepan, and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the cream from the heat, and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let the chocolate and cream sit for 3 minutes, then stir with a spatula until smooth.
  • Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the warm ganache. After dipping all the cupcakes, use a spoon to spoon any remaining ganache on top of the cupcakes, then smooth it out with a small icing spatula. Let the ganache set for about 15 minutes, before adding the icing. The ganache will remain fairly soft for several hours, before it firms up into a fudge-like consistency.

Icing

  • Take the piping bag of marshmallow filling and switch to tip 3. Practice piping the curly icing a few times on a plate to get the hang of it, then pipe the icing on top of the cupcakes.
    Notes:
    The marshmallow filling/icing will not harden or set on top of the cupcakes, and will remain a little sticky. Marshmallow can also get a bit "weepy" after 12-24 hours as it's exposed to air, and won't look quite as clean and sharp as it does when it's freshly piped. If you're making the cupcakes in advance, just keep the tip of the piping bag covered, and wait to add the curly icing until you're ready to serve them.
    If you need a more stable and set icing on top, consider just using vanilla buttercream without the marshmallow fluff, which will crust over and stay put on the ganache. You can also make a small batch of royal icing to use.

Notes

Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Keyword Chocolate Cupcakes, Ganache, High Altitude, Hostess Cupcakes, Marshmallow Cream
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