Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Fauxstess Cupcakes


So I know it's a little late for me to be boarding the Fauxstess Cupcake train, but this is honestly the first time I've tried such a recipe.

Mr. Vittles and I went to our friends' Super Bowl party this weekend, and I was on cupcake duty. 

But I didn't want to make just any cupcakes- I wanted to make something special!  And what could be more special than a homemade version of Hostess cupcakes?

I will not lie to you though - these are a lot of work. 

And the cream filling (aka seven-minute frosting) is... terrifying.  It turned out absolutely fine, but those seven minutes were riddled with quite a bit of self-doubt (rivaled only by arm-muscle fatigue.)

However, it was all worth it in the end. 


I thought these were awesome, and everyone at the party seemed to enjoy them as well.  So if you have the free time to make these, I would definitely recommend it!

Fauxstess Cupcakes

Cake Recipe:
  • 1/2 C. plus 2 T. cake flour
  • 1/3 C. Dutch-process cocoa
  • 1/2 t.baking powder
  • 1/4 t. baking soda
  • 1/8 t. salt
  • 2 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
  • 1/3 C. canola oil
  • 1/2 C. plus 2 T. sugar
  • 2 T. water

Preheat the oven to 350.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together egg yolks, canola oil, 1/2 cup sugar and water until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir by hand just until combined.
In a clean medium bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until stiff and glossy. Beat one quarter of the whites into the batter to lighten the mixture. Add remaining whites and gently fold the mixture together until no streaks remain.
Evenly divide the batter between the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin coated with nonstick spray (they will be about one-half full). Bake until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched in the center, about 13 to 16 minutes. Remove and let the cupcakes cool slightly before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cupcakes are almost cooled, make cream filling.

Cream Filling (Seven Minute Frosting):
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1/2 C. sugar
  • 1/4 C. light corn syrup
  • 2 T.s water
  • 1 1/2 t. pure vanilla extract

Combine filling ingredients with a pinch of salt in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and beat with a handheld electric mixer at high speed until frosting is thick and fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat until slightly cooled. Reserve 1/2 cup of the filling to use for piping the swirls on top of the cupcakes at the end.
Once cupcakes are completely cooled, use a sharp knife to slice circles (that end up being cone-shaped pieces) out of the center of each cupcake.  Keep in mind that the closer your sliced circle is to the outside circumference of the cupcake, the bigger the well in the center of the cupcake will be (and the more filling will go on it!).  So slice according to your preference.



Once the cone is cut out of the cupcake, set it aside and fill the well with the cream filling, almost to the top.  (I find that using a pastry bag and large tip was the neatest way to do this, but yo can use a spoon if you prefer). 

Slice off the pointy bottom part of the cake cone so that just the top layer of it remains, then place it on top of the filling.  Press down to adhere.  (How you go through the above steps is up to you - you can either do all the steps on each cupcake one at at a time, or do each step to all the cupcakes, then the next step to all, etc.)

Once all cupcakes are filled, make the ganache.

Chocolate Ganache:
  • 1/4 cup cream
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

In a small saucepan, heat cream until steaming. Remove from the heat, add chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the butter and stir until smooth. Transfer the frosting to a small bowl and dip the top of each cupcake to thoroughly coat.
Spoon the reserved filling into a pastry bag fitted with a very small plain tip and pipe swirls across the center of each cupcake. Refrigerate the cupcakes for 10 minutes to set the frosting.
Recipe from Beantown Baker, (via Heather Drive, Smiten Kitchen, and Culinary in the Desert)

24 comments:

  1. You had to post these while I'm craving them didn't you... lol! These look amazing!

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  2. Wow- these look great! Now I just need to convert them to gluten free (should be easy!).
    I was just talking to somebody about the old Hostess product called Choco-Bliss! Why did they ever stop making those? We knew a guy who bought them by the box! Yum!

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  3. Oh yeah! I love these. Wonder if I could cheat and use a stand mixer on the seven minute frosting? Yeah, I'm lazy on frostings.
    Perfect party food!

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  4. Stunning and healthy! Great job, for the recipe and mouthwatering photos!:)

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  5. Looks delicious, definetely need to try these!

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  6. Hahaha - I love the name of them too. You did a great job with these!!

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  7. These look amazing! Wowza! I need to make them. Like now!

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  8. Wow, they look fabulous, I bet they were abig hit! Thanks for visiting and your nice comments!

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  9. I'm a day late and a dollar short but I really wanna try these 'fauxstess cupcakes' someday too! They look super yummy!

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  10. This is my first run in with the "fauxtess cupcake" and I love everything about it. It looks so delicious.

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  11. I have never heard them called "fauxtess" that's a cute name for a delicious version. I know what you mean about 7 minute frosting. My MIL makes it all the time, but it makes me fearful every time. I am never sure it's really going to turn out.

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  12. Awesome job! Did you eat all of the leftover cone bottoms? :)

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  13. Seems like they did stress you a bit so how are they fauxstress?

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  14. Nikki, I DID eat the cone bottoms! HAHA! Guilty as charged :)

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  15. Maggie, those cupcakes sound incredible! I love that they are filled with all that yumminess.

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  16. This look so yummy! I love making filled cupcakes. You get such a nice and unexpected surprise when you bite into them. It really taked the plain old cupcake up a notch.

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  17. If my husband saw this post, he would be badgering me to make them. I hate time consuming things, but you know, some times it's worth it. I really need to make these. Hope you have a great day!

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  18. I haven't made these yet either, yours turned out so cute! Seven minute frosting always scares me too, like at any moment its going to go bad.

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  19. Shhhh...don't tell anyone but I am just now getting on this train as well. Your Fauxstess Cupcakes look delicious and I can't wait to try them. Thank you so much for bringing them to Full Plate Thursday and please come back!

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  20. Yum! I could eat the ganache by itself! Thanks for linking up to Made From Scratch Tuesday!

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  21. They look beautiful and I'm sure they went fast:@)

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  22. How fun these would be to make for a family gathering, thanks.

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  23. Oh, how wonderful these look! Great job on the photos. It really helps to have those step-by-step pics so I know what I'm doing when I am up to my eyeballs in cupcakes and chocolate. We were on the same wave length this week since I made my inside out Ding Dong cake! Happy TGIF! :)

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  24. I love cup cakes. Yours looks moist and delicious, yum!!

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I love reading your comments!

If you have a question or problem you can also feel free to email me at vittlesandbits@gmail.com. Thanks for visiting :)

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