Hello Friday! I dunno about you but I am so eager to kick back and relax this weekend. We haven’t had a plan/responsibility free weekend in a long time and boy am I looking forward to it. But first a little baking, which is really more like play then work anyway right? Unless you account for the pile of dishes, tornado like state of the kitchen, attempts at keeping the kiddos occupied, and the hubs stopping at the store to get the one darn item you ran out out ;) Ah well…
Last week the hubs mentioned that he was kind of sad I hadn’t been baking for his new office. For the past few years I’ve sent treats into the office quiet frequently. Military legal personnel make great baking test subjects/critics/reviewers, lol. Really though, I do love sending treats to work with him. I get to bake and they get to consume the calories enjoy the outcome. Life has just been so crazy lately I just haven’t been able to bake! Devastating right?
So today I got back in the kitchen and took at shot at turning the ultimate fatty cake favorite into a cupcake, the Twinkie. Another cupcake flavor off my “to bake” list and a happy hubby with cupcakes for work. I don’t think I will ever run out of cupcake flavors to try…for every one I bake 2 more pop in my head :).
After a quick Twinkie google I found that Todd Wilbur had made a copy cat recipe of the hostess Twinkie. I tried his filling and was super impressed not only was it spot on it was incredibly easy and pipped really well. Obviously it had to be filled but I wasn’t sure about how to top the cupcake? I considered putting a marshmallow frosting on the top but in the end I pipped a small swirl of the same filling on top, and I really like how it turned out. Ready to make some Twinkie inspired cupcakes of your own?
Here’s what your going to need:
Yellow Cupcakes
1 Box of yellow cake mix
1/2 package of instant french vanilla pudding (3.4oz box)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water
3 eggs
Filling/Icing
2 -7oz tubs of marshmallow fluff
1 cup shortening
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 tsp. hot water
1/2 tsp. salt
Makes 24 cupcakes.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350, line 2 muffin tins with cupcake wrappers.
Step 2: Mix together cake mix, eggs, sour cream, water, oil, and pudding mix. Don’t worry about measuring out the pudding perfectly…I just eye it so it’s close to half then put the other half back in the box for next time.
Step 3: Add 3 TBS of batter to each cupcake liner (you will have extra mix).
Step 4: Bake at 350 for about 16 minutes. They will just be turning golden on top and of course a toothpick should come out clean. Let set on a cooling rack until completely cool.
Step 5: While the cupcakes are cooling in a small bowl mix together the salt and hot water until dissolved then let set so it may cool down.
Step 6: Mix together marshmallow fluff, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Then you may add in your cooled salt water.
Now it’s time to fill these Twinkie wannabes.
Step 7: Use a large round icing tip to remove a small center piece creating a nice spot for the filling. I recommend doing this because marshmallow is thick and can be a pain to use as a filling. This is one of my best cupcake tips! They actually sell a “tool” to do this..and I’ve seen many people use different things from a utensil end to your thumb. I love to use a simple icing tip because it’s something I already have on hand and it creates a prefect little space without removing much cake at all.
Step 8: Using a large round pipping tip fill the cupcake by placing the tip half way in the cupcake and pulling up while applying pressure.
Step 8: Now you may use the same tip and pipping bag to top the cupcakes! You may want to wipe of the tip if any crumbs have stuck to it.
Note: I pipped a smaller then normal amount on top of these cupcakes. I didn’t want to over do it with the cream in the middle and I had just enough filling. So if your going to pipe a larger amount you may need to increase you filling by 1/2.
And there you have it… the ultimate fatty cake in cupcake form. Super fun and incredibly easy. Much nicer then bringing a tray of wrapped goodies but just as yummy ;).
Ingredients
- 1 Box of yellow cake mix
- 1/2 package of instant french vanilla pudding (3.4oz box)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1 cup water
- 3 eggs
- 2 -7oz tubs of marshmallow fluff
- 1 cup shortening
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 4 tsp. hot water
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350, line 2 muffin tins with cupcake wrappers.
- Mix together cake mix, eggs, sour cream, water, oil, and pudding mix. Don’t worry about measuring out the pudding perfectly…I just eye it so it’s close to half then put the other half back in the box for next time.
- Add 3 TBS of batter to each cupcake liner (you will have extra mix).
- Bake at 350 for about 16 minutes. They will just be turning golden on top and of course a toothpick should come out clean. Let set on a cooling rack until completely cool.
- While the cupcakes are cooling in a small bowl mix together the salt and hot water until dissolved then let set so it may cool down.
- Mix together marshmallow fluff, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Then you may add in your cooled salt water.
- Use a large round icing tip to remove a small center piece creating a nice spot for the filling. I recommend doing this because marshmallow is thick and can be a pain to use as a filling.
- Using a large round pipping tip fill the cupcake by placing the tip half way in the cupcake and pulling up while applying pressure.
- Now you may use the same tip and pipping bag to top the cupcakes! You may want to wipe of the tip if any crumbs have stuck to it.
This looks sooooooo delicious I can hardly stand it!! I’ll definitely have to try them!! Especially that filling … yumminess! Thanks! ;)
Oh boy, I may have to go to TA {Twinkies Anonymous} after this! lol That filling looks aMAzing!! Thank you for the recipe, can’t wait to make them. I should wait until we have company tho, right?? I mean, otherwise, hubby and I will end up eating them all by ourselves. Of course, a test batch before company comes is always a good thing, right??? ;P
Looks delicious! Is the pudding a small/regular 1oz box or the big 3oz box?
These look amazingly delicious! I am a huge twinkie fan, so I need to try out this recipe. Thanks.
This recipe, described as “new” on today’s email, was, according to date in comments, offered last September. This brings me to a complaint: Repetition! My time is limited; I do not wish to pore over recipes previously read.
Wow that was a pretty snarky comment. I’ve pinned it so I can read it over and over and over….. I don’t mind reading things twice. I don’t mind reading things twice.
good words!
Apologies to Toni. She isn’t guilty! The recipe was emailed by a group which inundates my email with repititious recipes, and Toni’s yummy-sounding Twinkies recipe was among them today. I will certainly try these soon.
Please forgive me, Toni!
No problem! Thank you for coming back to clear that up!
Can you set up a more user friendly printable recipe? When i hit print..i have to print pages unstead of JUST the recipe!
Hi Karen! I am sorry for the inconvenience! I actually just switched to this domain within the last month, which has required me to sort through all 200+ posts and edit them each to fit this format. Printable recipes is one of the new features (yay!) I can offer on my new domain and I am working hard to get them all up! If you check back within a day I will have this one ready for you! Thanks!
if this tastes like Twinkies I will howl at the moon for joy
do you use solid or liquid shortening?
Solid! :)
Thank you for repeating receipes I just found your sight. I would have hated to miss this.
Everyone’s time is valuable I appreciate you using yours doing this site.
thank you
Bonnie
Can you substitute butter for shortening in the filling?
I have not tried it myself so I can’t give you a for sure answer. Butter has a lower melting point so it might be softer and melt easier…but it’s worth a try! Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
I wrote to you last night but haven’t got the answer yet. I know u are busy, but I’d really like to try these. Need to know: is french vanilla pudding instant or cook and serve and what size box? What size cake mix: 15 1/2 oz. (regular) or jiffy cake mix size?
Got a question for you. Tried these and the cupcakes were flat and very gummy. I tried cooking a little longer with same results. I made another batch and they turned out the same way. This is the only one of your recipes I’ve tried that didn’t turn out. Love your page!!!!
I made these last night for today’s celebration of my fiance’s 45th bday. I’ve resisted tasting an entire cupcake, but the frosting/filling tastes just like that of a twinkie! With the centers that I scooped out of each cupcake, I put them all together and put a dab of frosting on it… OMG. I must say that I was scared to work with the fluff, but it magically came together once you put the salt water into it. I’m so excited to share these with the family today!
Twinkies are my sons favorite…so I made these for his going away backyard BBQ. They were a hit with everyone. Very easy to make.
Awesome!
I love Twinkies! Oh boy I wanna make this but we dont have those pudding mix around here. Any suggestion?
Tried it…everyone LOVED them!!!! Thanks for sharing.
Awesome!!
This recipe was very good I’ve made them a few times
Awesome!
These honestly tasted like a Twinkie! The frosting/filling was not to sweet! We loved them….I did use the entire box of pudding mix instead of half! I WILL make these again!
Awesome!
Hi Toni,
I just received from my daughter Nancy this really cute cake recipe for Easter with peeps all around it etc. I thought I would like to try a cream filled cake do you think this could be made into a cake ? Any idea how I could put 1/2 cake mix in pan with cream of some kind in the middle and then the rest of the cake mix . Or would it be better to follow your recipe for twinkies and just put in cream in spots??? Waiting to hear and thank you for your time.
Toni
I definitely think this could be make into a cake! Just split the cake mix into two 8in pans and bake. Level the two cakes a big and use cream for the center! You could make an extra batch of cream to cover the cake as well, or cover it with a butter cream! Sounds yummy! Maybe I need to try this myself?!?!
Yum! I will be using this frosting for SO many things. Thanks for posting a marshmallow fluff recipe that actually pipes well and holds it’s shape :)
Hi! If I make these in advance, should they be refrigerated or can they be left out over night? Thanks!
I don’t see a problem with leaving them out, however, I like to refrigerate all of my cupcakes if possible.
Help! My cupcakes went flat??? Tasted good but I wouldn’t serve them to guests. Husband loves moments like this.
Is it possible you overmixed your batter? That is normally the number 1 culprit for flat cupcakes! Hope that helps!
Do you think I could make this into a double layer cake and just put the filling between layers and a dab on top? Not too crazy about cupcakes but this sounds delish!
Absolutely! That sounds like and awesome cake!
Amazing recipe! Made these Twinkie cupcakes for my boyfriend’s birthday. He has a guilty pleasure for those little yellow sponge cakes, and I wanted to give him a homemade version. They turned out INCREDIBLE. I had to stop myself from eating the filling straight out of the bowl. We have a bunch leftover to give to friends. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes! Thanks for this!
Awesome – soooo glad to hear! And don’t worry we’ll keep the straight out of the bowl eating a secret ok? No judging here! Happy baking!