Twinkie Cupcakes

It’s high time we shared another great cupcake recipe, don’t you think?

One of the friends I make cupcakes for always wants to try new things and give me a new challenge.  This time around, we decided to give filled cupcakes a try with the cupcake version of everyone’s favorite treat to love to hate: twinkies!

These start off with a simple yellow cake mix (doctored up, of course), then stuffed with marshmallow filling and topped with marshmallow buttercream!  It is a twinkie explosion!

These equally appropriate for a 5-year old’s birthday as for an adult who is a kid at heart!

Twinkie Cupcakes

Adapted from The Lady Behind the Curtain

Cupcakes

1 box yellow cake mix

¾ cup water

1 (8 ounce) tub sour cream

1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

¾ cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Marshmallow Filling

½ cup butter, softened

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow fluff

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Marshmallow Buttercream

1 cup Crisco vegetable shortening

1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow fluff

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (2 pound) bag powdered sugar

2 tablespoons merengue powder, optional (helps stabilize the frosting)

¼ - ½ cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin tin with 24 paper liners.

Mix all of the cupcake ingredients together until smooth.  Divide evenly in the prepared muffin tin.  Bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes or until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Move to wire racks and cool completely.

To make the filling, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the marshmallow fluff, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth.  The filling will be looser than a typical frosting (I found it to behave similar to homemade whipped cream, smooths easily, but holds a smooth peak.)  Pour filling into a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip (I used a wilton size 12).

To fill the cupcakes, gently push a large icing tip, wide side down, about 1/3 of the way into the center of a cupcake.  Gently pull out the cake piece out and set side (note, use a round or open star tip, so you can inter a straw through the opposite side to remove the cake piece easily!)

Pipe filling into the hollowed out portion of the cupcake and replace the cake piece.  Repeat until all cupcakes are filled.

To make the butter cream, combine all ingredients (start with ¼ cup water).  Beat until smooth, adding additional water as desired to achieve a piping consistency.

Fit a piping bag with a large open star tip.  Fill with frosting and pipe onto the cupcakes.