Did you grow up enjoying cream-filled chocolate hostess cupcakes as much as I did? Then you are going to love these gluten free vegan hostess cupcakes!
Trading for the best snacks at the lunch table in elementary school. Oh the memories. Everyone wanted either nacho cheese Doritos or Hostess cupcakes. Gushers fruit snacks were pretty valuable too. Remember those? The junk food that I ate on a regular basis. How times have changed!
Even though I don’t buy those processed foods for my kids, it’s fun to make a homemade version for them to enjoy! I’ve been craving these well-loved cupcakes and knew I could make them gluten, dairy and egg free. No problem. I also knew my kids would never know or miss the real deal!
I give you my version of the allergen free hostess cupcake, ladies and gentlemen. A chocolate cupcake with cream filling in the center {YES!}, dipped in chocolate ganache. Don’t forget that fun swirl across the top. Totally necessary. Bringing back those childhood memories from the lunch table, one cupcake at a time.
- 1 1/2 cups Sarah's gluten free flour blend
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or oat milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup avocado oil or grape seed oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons almond milk or oat milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup dairy free chocolate chips {such as Enjoy Life}
- 3 tablespoons almond milk or oat milk
- reserved 1/4 cup cream filling
- 1 teaspoon almond milk or oat milk
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners.
- Sift together flour blend, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In large mixing bowl, stir together almond milk, water and vinegar. Add sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla extract. Slowly whisk in flour mixture. Beat for 1 minute.
- Pour batter into prepared cupcake pans. Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Place on cooling rack to cool completely.
- To make cream filling, beat shortening for 1 minute in large bowl of standing mixer. Add powdered sugar, almond milk and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Place cream filling in large piping bag with round tip, reserving about 1/4 cup.
- To fill cupcakes, use small knife to cut out 1-inch cone shape in center of cupcake. Using pastry bag, pipe cream filling into cupcake. Smooth tops by scraping off excess filling.
- Make chocolate ganache by placing chocolate chips and almond milk in microwave safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Let cool 5 minutes.
- Invert cupcakes and dip tops into ganache. Repeat with remaining cupcakes. Place on cooling rack to let glaze set.
- To make icing, blend together reserved 1/4 cup filling and almond milk. Place in piping bag with small round tip.
- Once ganache is set, pipe swirl design across top of each cupcake. Store cupcakes in airtight container.
These turned out great! Thank you for the recipe! * I used raw milk and cream.