Hostess Cupcake Cookies
Soft cake-like chocolate cookies topped with fluffy marshmallow frosting, a silky smooth blanket of chocolate ganache and those iconic vanilla icing squiggles!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Cookies:
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup dutch processed cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 3 teaspoons hot water
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
Marshmallow Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- Pinch salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 (7 oz) container marshmallow creme
- 3-4 teaspoons heavy cream/milk
Chocolate Ganache:
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
Vanilla Icing:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1-2 teaspoons milk
Instructions
Make the Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda a salt together until combined; set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the instant espresso powder and hot water until completely dissolved; set aside.
- Cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and espresso mixture, and mix until completely incorporated. Add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Shape dough into balls, and place them onto the prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten each ball to about ½ inch in thickness (see photo above). Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Make The Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and salt together until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, a cup at a time, until combined. Add the vanilla, marshmallow creme, and heavy cream/milk, beating until light and fluffy.
- Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
Make the Ganache:
- Place the chocolate chips into a medium bowl; set aside.
- Pour heavy cream into a glass measuring cup, and heat in the microwave until it just begins to boil. Pour hot cream over the chocolate chips, cover with plastic wrap, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, and stir until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Make the Icing:
- In a medium bowl, stir the powdered sugar and butter together until it forms a soft paste. Add the vanilla and milk, and continue stirring until smooth. Transfer icing to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip.
To Assemble:
- Pipe the marshmallow frosting onto the cookie, starting from the center and swirling out toward the edges. Dip the frosted side of the cookie into the ganache, shaking gently to allow any excess ganache to drip off. Flip it right side up and place it onto a wire rack. Allow ganache to set for about 30 minutes before piping 7 squiggles across the top of the cookie. Repeat with the rest of the cookies.