A grown-up version of the Hostess cupcake

I made these dark chocolate and coffee cupcakes for my friend Mary Ann as a birthday gift and she came up with the brilliant suggestion of piping whoopie pie frosting (made with a marshmallow fluff) into and on top of them. For me the frosting really makes them, but it only works because the cupcake is so dark, dense and chocolaty.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
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1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup Turbinado sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup (2 ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
2 rounded teaspoons instant espresso + 1 cup boiling water (or 1 cup hot coffee)
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place oven rack in the middle position. Line 18 muffin tins with liner paper/foil cups.

2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, combine cocoa and chocolate; pour hot coffee over cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth; let cool slightly. Whisk in mayonnaise, egg and vanilla.

4. Stir mayonnaise mixture into flour mixture until combined.

5. Using a 1/2 cup measure fill muffin tins 1/2 full to 2/3 full. Bake until wooden skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out with a few crumbs attached, 17-19 minutes.

6. Let cupcakes cool in pan for a few minutes and then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

7. Fill and frost with Fluff Frosting.



Fluff Frosting Recipe
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1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
5-1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1 heaping cup Marshmallow Fluff

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the shortening, butter, sugar, vanilla and salt. When the mixture is smooth, beat in the Fluff.

To fill and frost 18 cupcakes, you will need 1 1/2 times this recipe amount. It helps to use a pastry bag with a metal tip.