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I always wanted Hostess Cupcakes to magically show up in my lunchbox as a kid. Unfortunately, it never happened. When I finally had them, I wasn’t too impressed. They were far to sweet for my liking. I added a little Milk and Cardamom spice to the cupcake and made these gourmet Hostess Cupcakes with Raaka Chocolate and One Stripe Chai’s Rose Chai Blend!
I infused the cake and the ganache for the gourmet Hostess Cupcakes with One Stripe Chai Rose Chai blend to give it a slight floral flavor. I used Raaka’s Oat Milk baking chocolate and their cacao powder for the cake and ganache as well. They are cane sugar-free, so I ended up adding a little sugar to the ganache to sweeten it up, feel free to skip it if you like it real dark!
Hostess cupcakes typically have a marshmallow filling, I opted for a lighter Swiss meringue buttercream spiced with freshly ground cardamom. I also used it to pipe the classic Hostess cupcake swirls on top as well!
I used the bottom of a large piping tip to hollow out my cupcakes, and then filled them with the buttercream and put the cake “hat” back on to cover it up. Be sure to pop the cupcakes in the freezer for a little bit before dipping them in ganache to help make sure the ganache doesn’t tear the cake apart.
I loved how rich and indulgent these Hostess cupcakes ended up being! The tea flavor isn’t too overly prominent but you do get a nice floral aroma and flavor!
If you end up making these be sure to tag me at @milkandcardamom on social media! Enjoy!
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Rose Chai and Dark Chocolate Hostess Cupcakes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A fancy take of Hostess cupcakes- fluffy, moist chocolate cake flavored with rose tea filled with a light cardamom meringue buttercream and dipped in ganache. Makes one dozen cupcakes.
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE
- 1/2 cup (115 g) milk
- 2 tbsp Rose and Black Tea (One Stripe Chai Gulab City Tea)
- 8 tbsp (115 g) unsalted butter
- 7 tbsp (58 g) chocolate, chopped (Raaka Oat Milk)
- 1/3 cup (29 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup (155 g) light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 whole eggs plus 1 yolk ( or 1/3 cup apple sauce + 3 tbsp vegan mayo)
- 1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp (87 g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
CARDAMOM SWISS MERINGUE
- 2.5 tbsp egg whites (or 2.5 tbsp aquafaba)
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
- 6 1/2 tbsp (94 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
ROSE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) heavy cream
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar (optional)
- 3 tbsp Rose and Black Tea (One Stripe Chai Gulab City Tea)
- 1/4 cup (2 oz) dark chocolate (Raaka Oat Milk)
Instructions
Rose Tea and Dark Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 1/2 cup (115 g) milk and 2 tbsp Rose Chai Blend. Warm and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and cover. Let it sit for 3 minutes. Strain the milk into a clean saucepan and add 8 tbsp (115 g) unsalted butter and heat until the butter has melted. Remove from heat and stir in 7 tbsp (58 g) chopped chocolate and 1/3 cup (29 g) unsweetened cocoa powder until smooth. Add 3/4 cup (155 g) light brown sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp vanilla and stir until well combined. Add 2 eggs plus 1 yolk (or apple sauce and vegan mayo) and stir until smooth. Sift in 1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp (87 g) all-purpose flour and 1 tsp baking soda and whisk until all the flour is just combined.
- Pour into a measuring cup with a spout for easy pouring. Fill each cupcake liner with the batter so the batter is only 3/4 of the way up. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing the cupcakes and cooling on a rack. Cool completely.
Cardamom Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Add 2.5 tbsp egg whites (or aquafaba), 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 1/8 tsp cream of tartar, and 1/4 tsp salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. If using aquafaba, skip step 2.
- If using egg white, set up a double boiler and place the bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir for 5 minutes or until the mixture hits 160°F. Then remove from the heat.
- Attach the bowl to the mixer and whisk for 12 minutes. Add butter a tablespoon at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Scrape down the bowl and whisk well. If it’s soupy or loose- pop the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes and then continue whisking. It should be creamy, smooth, and light. Spoon into a piping bag and set aside.
Rose Tea and Dark Chocolate Ganache
- When ready to assemble, make the ganache. Add 1/4 cup (2 oz) dark chocolate to a mixing bowl.
- Add 1/2 cup (4 oz) heavy cream, 3 tbsp granulated sugar, and 3 tbsp Rose Chai to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and then remove from heat. Cover for 2 minutes to allow the tea to steep. Strain the heavy cream into the bowl with the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Stir until all the chocolate has melted and is smooth.
Assemble
- Use a large piping tip or a teaspoon to carve out the center of each cupcake. Fill each cupcake with the cardamom meringue and place the carved-out cake on top to cover the meringue. Place the filled cupcakes onto a tray and freeze for 5 minutes.
- Dip the top of each cupcake into the ganache. Let the cupcakes sit for 15-20 minutes so the ganache sets.
- Spoon the leftover meringue buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a small tip, pipe swirls across the center of each cupcake for that Hostess look!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Desserts
- Cuisine: American, Fusion
2 Responses
Hey Hetal! What amount of aquafaba should be used?
2.5 tbsp!
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