Copycat Twinkie Cupcakes are as good (or better!) than the original. Tender, buttery spongecake is filled with a light and fluffy marshmallow whip and topped with marshmallow buttercream.
Hostess Twinkies were good. I had a love hate relationship with them, to be honest. On the one hand I hated the chemical sugary ick but on the other — well dang, who doesn’t like that unique flavor and texture?
And texture is what is throwing off all the copycat recipes for Twinkie cupcakes that I have tried. Here’s the deal, you can get the flavor (or close to it) but if you don’t have the texture you don’t have a Twinkie, in my opinion. You just can’t used a boxed cake mix and expect to get what you are looking for if you are a perfectionist like me… and you are or you wouldn’t be bothering with Restless Chipotle, right?
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Twinkies are made out of sponge cakes, or they were. (a moment of silence, please). The sponge cake gave a light, airy, almost bouncy texture that was the perfect foil to the creamy filling. When you use a butter cake you can come close to the flavor but the tender crumb just isn’t quite right. Homemade sponge cakes are a thing of the past — people seem to be afraid to make them. Don’t be. They do take a few extra steps but they aren’t difficult steps and I know you can do it.
I promise you can do it.
Once you learn how to make the sponge cake you can get what is called a canoe pan and make Twinkies exactly like Hostess’s if you want to. You may not want to, these copycat twinkie cupcakes are just that good.
The filling is creamy and yummy and there is marshmallow buttercream on the top. This was actually a little over the top for us. Even the kids took off some of the buttercream before eating it. If I decide to make them again with frosting I am just going to put thin layer on top. These are really rich. Still, the downy folds of butter cream look nice, don’t they?
When you have mastered this copycat twinkie cupcakes recipe (umm, like the very first time you make it, it’s that easy) then you will be able to make all kinds of luscious sponge cakes with ease. Everyone will be very impressed and you’ll be the only one that knows how really easy it is to do.
I am always looking for unique cupcake flavors and these fall into that category.
Copycat Twinkie Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cake
- 5 eggs , separated
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup sugar (1/4 cup plus 3/4 cup, divided use)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup cake flour
- Pinch of salt
Filling
- 7 ounce jar of mashmallow fluff (about half a cup)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Marshmallow Buttercream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , at room temperature
- 7 ounces marshmallow fluff (about half a cup)
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Separate the eggs while they are cold and then let them come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- Rinse the beater and bowl with vinegar and drain all the vinegar out.
- Add the egg whites and the cream of tartar to the bowl.
- Beat the egg whites until they make soft peaks and then begin beating 1/4 cup of the sugar in one tablespoon at a time.
- Continue beating until the mixture is stiff and glossy.
- Remove the egg whites from the bowl and put them in another bowl that is very clean. Set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks with the vanilla and almond until they are thick and lemon colored.
- Beat in the remaining 3/4 cup sugar very slowly, until the mixture is no longer grainy when rubbed between your fingers.
- Fold 1/3 of the egg whites carefully into the egg yolk mixture to lighten it.
- Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites.
- Sift the flour and salt over the top of the egg mixture and fold gently until no white streaks can be seen.
- Spoon into muffin cups and bake until top springs back when touched - about 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
Filling
- Cream the butter and sugar together.
- Add vanilla and salt.
- Whip in the marshmallow fluff.
- Cover tightly and chill.
- Whip before using. If it is too runny add a bit more confectioners but remember this is a very creamy filling. Don't add too much.
Marshmallow Buttercream
- Beat the butter and marshmallow until well mixed.
- Whip for five minutes.
- Add the confectioners sugar and beat to combine.
- Add the vanilla and then whip for three minutes or so.
- If the frosting seems too thick add a little of the cream and whip some more.
To Assemble
- Remove middles out of cooled cupcakes.
- Pipe in the filling mixture.
- Cover with frosting.
- Repeat with all of the cupcakes.
- Decorate as desired.
Notes
You May Need…
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Here is the canoe pan I was talking about… you know, just in case you want to make the real thing sometime.
Wilton 2105-3646 Non-Stick 12-Cavity Delectovals Cake Pan
Emily says
I made just the cream filling last night so that I could get that Twinkie mojo going. It came out great! No problems using a pastry bag and just made a hole in my cupcakes (a gluten-free box mix) at the bottom and one on each side and piped it in. My only thing is that the ingredients list for the filling doesn’t say to add salt, but the instructions say “Add vanilla and salt.” I added a wee dash just in case since it’s unsalted butter. No problemo. Yum!
Nancy says
Tried the Casey Barber recipe for the cupcakes and it failed miserably. Hope this one does better.
Marye Audet says
Hm. I have no clue who Casey Barber is, Nancy. Can you tell me what went wrong or what you didn’t like? The most difficult thing about this recipe is getting the sponge cake right.
Melissa says
You mention you have to cover and chill the filling. For how long?
Marye Audet says
just until it’s cool… maybe 30 minutes or so.
Holly says
How many cupcakes does this recipe make?
Marye Audet says
18. 🙂
Rachel says
Just had to come on here and say yum! I was looking for a cupcake to make with my niece – something fun but not requiring fancy decoration. This was delicious! We cut out half a cup of sugar for the topping, and it was perfect. I will be making these again.
Marye Audet says
Thank you Rachel!
Terry Finley says
April and I are trying this tonight for the church potluck tomorrow. We are using mini liners instead. (Lots of little kids…) can I just stick a pastry to into the cupcake instead of removing the center…. since there won’t be too much center in the mini.
Terry Finley says
Pastry tip…. duh.
Marye says
I think you’ll still want to remove centers but try one and see
Terry Finley says
Thank you ma’am! PS. April still remembers “the farm”. She loves these recipes. She wants to own a bakery someday.
Helen says
Can this be baked as a cake instead?
Marye Audet says
Sure…. you’ll just need to bake longer.
Becky Raudman says
Sounds delicious! Planning on trying. Question is: In the first step it says to rinse beater and bowl with vinegar and drain vinegar out. Am I assuming then that I’m not “rinsing” the vinegar from the bowl? I want to verify that it won’t leave my egg whites tasting like vinegar or does the vinegar not “rinsed” out from bowl aid in the final product? Sorry if it sounds like a dumb question. New to baking and want to make sure I understand completely before jumping in to a recipe that is so in depth. Thanks for your time!
Marye Audet says
It is not a dumb question. There is not enough vinegar to make the egg whites taste weird and the acid residue from the vinegar in the bowl helps the whites whip up nice and fluffy! Let me know how you like them. If you run into problems or questions just post on the restlesschipotle facebook page…I check it often.