Giant Hostess Cupcake, step-by-step October 1
I’ve mentioned before that I’m a fan of the Pimp That Snack website, where people submit their supersized versions of conventionally smaller snack foods, so when a good friend of mine asked me if I could rework my Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Filling into a giant Hostess cupcake lookalike, I didn’t hesitate before agreeing to give it a shot.
The result is the cake you see above, a 5-inch high by 9-inch in diameter tribute to a childhood favorite. It is made up of the equivalent of about three-dozen cupcakes, in terms of the amount of cake batter used, and has as much filling inside as two dozen “normal” cupcakes (as you can imagine, we sliced it up to serve it). In spite of its impressive size, the cake is easy to make. I’ll run through the process I used here and give the recipes down at the bottom of this post so that you can try it yourself.
The first decision I needed to make was to determine what type of pan to use. A tube pan seemed like a possibility, since any cake baked in one will have a ready-made hole in the middle, but I decided that I wanted the cake to be moist and rich, heavier than a sponge or chiffon cake. I opted to make a layer cake and hollow out the center layers to create a cavity for the filling.
I used four, 9-inch layers, using two solid cake rounds as the top and bottom of the cupcake and removing the center of the two middle layers to hold the filling. A five-inch diameter biscuit cutter is the easiest tool to use to remove the middle of the cake, but you can carve out a circle with a paring knife, as well.
You don’t want to make the hole too large, or there won’t be enough vanilla cream to fill it up, but as long as you save some of the cake scraps (as opposed to eating them as you work), you can always close up the edges of the center if you need to by using a thin slice of cake.
Once the cake was filled completely, I put on the final layer of cake and covered the whole thing in a thin layer of chocolate frosting. The frosting was necessary because you could clearly see the four layers of cake when all the pieces were in place. Most Hostess-type cream filled cupcakes only have frosting on the top, but covering the whole cake gave the cake a smooth, finished look.
When we cut into the cake (I wasn’t the one who did the cutting, incidentally) you could really see the resemblance to its smaller counterpart. It tasted amazing. The cake layers were moist and the thin layer of chocolate frosting was just enough to give each piece an extra boost of flavor - not to mention that it made some chocoholics very happy. Because the slices were relatively thin, the amount of filling per slice wasn’t overwhelming, inspite of how large the cake’s center is. This cake is sure to be a hit at parties - for adults and kids alike. I wouldn’t hesitate to make it again to inject a little nostalgia, and a little cream filling, into special event.
Giant Hostess Cupcake
2 batches of chocolate cake layers (4 layers, total)
1 batch vanilla cream filling
1 batch rich chocolate frosting (recipe below)
Take all four (cooled) chocolate cake layers and level the domed tops using a large, serrated knife. Using a large biscuit cutter, or a paring knife, cut an approx. 5-inch circle from the center of each of two of the cake layers.
Stack one uncut layer on a cake plate or serving tray and place the two center-less layers on top of it. Fill the center of the cake with the vanilla cream filling. Reserve about 1-2 tbsp of filling to make the squiggle on top of the cake.
Place final uncut layer on top of the filling to seal it in.
Frost entire cake with a thin layer of rich chocolate frosting. Using a large offset spatula will give you the smoothest finish.
Place reserved vanilla filling into a plastic bag and cut off the corner. Pipe filling onto top of the cake in a squiggly line to finish.
Cake can be refrigerated or kept at room temperature.
Serves 16-20.
Rich Chocolate Frosting
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped semisweet chocolate (or chocolate chips)
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup milk (lowfat is fine)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Melt together butter and chocolate in a medium-sized, microwave safe bowl. Work in 30 second intervals, stopping to stir frequently, and continuing until the mixture is smooth. Let cool slightly (about 3-5 minutes).
Add in confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
Frost sides and top of Giant Hostess Cupcake (above).
Pumpkin Oct 1
I love it! It’s super-adorable!
cookworm Oct 1
Wow, what a cute idea! I used to love those Hostess cupcakes as a kid. I bet people would go nuts over this at a party.
Kimberly Oct 1
Did you submit this to “Pimp that Snack”?? I hope so!
Sophia Oct 1
I will so try this sometime!
meeso Oct 1
WOW!!! This is SO cool! I think I’m going to make this for my daughter’s next birthday…really great!
Leah Oct 1
This is so amazing I am bouncing up and down in my seat. In fact, I’m going to make it this Friday for a friend’s birthday! What did you use for the familiar white squiggle on top?
Leah Oct 1
*blush*
I got so excited I didn’t read the recipe carefully and missed where you clearly said “Place reserved vanilla filling into a plastic bag and cut off the corner. Pipe filling onto top of the cake in a squiggly line to finish.” Ooops.
JEP Oct 1
That is the most dazzling looking cake I have ever seen! What retro/nostalgic person wouldn’t love this?
sabrina Oct 1
OMG. you are amazing. i love it.
Lydia Oct 2
That is hilarious — I love it! I was such a fan of Hostess cupcakes when I was a kid. I’m bookmarking this recipe!
Megan Oct 2
my birthday is later this month and I am totally making this. I love hostess cupcakes!!
Deb Schiff Oct 2
Love it! I’m also a fan of Pimp That Snack. They should have a show.
Kristin Oct 2
You should definitely submit this to Pimp that Snack, it’s much more involved than the giant hostess cupcake that my friend and I made and submitted.
Darlene Oct 2
What a yummy picture - Thank you so much for the recipe!!!!
Darlene
Michelle Oct 2
Wow! Fantastic! Love to see problems solvers out there marching their way to the table with the rest of us! Really lovely.
Divalicious Oct 2
Wow that looks good! I may have to try and make that.
Patty Oct 3
WOW….this is a brilliant idea. Definately my next friends birthday will be recieving this cake. I can’t wait to try it. thank you
Casey Nov 15
Now this must be tried
Winston Jan 8
Hey thanks for the recipe! I got really inspired by your pictures and I decided to do my own version! It should be posted up on my website now.
It was my first time making a cake, and I think I may have goofed up some of the recipes so they didn’t turn out exactly like you had intended, but it was still good nonetheless.
Thanks again!
Belle Mar 12
You did an AMAZING job! It’s definitely a must do for my next dinner get together. Thanks for posting. You are a baking god-dess! BAKE ON!
OCMom Mar 17
This is AWESOME, I’m putting this link on our site:)
Deborah Mar 19
looks great. do you ever do the orange cup cake version. would love to know how. thanks.
Not So Zen Momma Apr 16
Thanks for your great recipe. It was the hit of my son’s first birthday. Check out my blog for photos.
Sarah May 11
I loved this idea so much that I made it for my nephew’s confirmation party. It was a hit and it tasted amazing. My only complaint is that it crumbled a lot and the filling didn’t come out with the piece, so we had to scoop it out. It was still delicious though!
Never teh Bride Jun 14
I want to eat this so badly. Perhaps I’ll make it for a party, then snag as many slices as I can on the fly…