This homemade hostess cupcakes recipe makes rich, fluffy cream-filled treats your family will love — for a fraction of the cost of store-bought snack cakes! These easy cupcakes freeze beautifully, making them perfect for lunches, parties, after-school snacks and quick desserts anytime!
Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
Kids and husbands love sweet treats in their lunches, but frosted cupcakes can get messy fast. One easy trick is to slice cupcakes or snack cakes in half horizontally and spread the filling in the middle like a sandwich so nothing sticks to wrappers, lunch boxes or fingers.
Even better, this recipe from our Dining On A Dime Cookbook Volume 1 shows you how to make delicious cream-filled cupcakes just like the classic chocolate Hostess treats — no heavy frosting needed!
One of the things I like most about these homemade hostess cupcakes is that they freeze well so you can make a big batch ahead of time and pull out one or two whenever you need a quick dessert or snack.
They’re perfect for:
- Birthday parties
- Football games
- School lunches
- Summer treats
- Bake sales
- After-school snacks
They’re especially delicious frozen during hot summer weather! The creamy filling stays soft while the cake turns into an ice-cream-like treat everyone loves!
If you have leftover filling, freeze it separately and thaw it later for another batch of cupcakes. You can even make a double batch to keep on hand for quick desserts anytime.
More Ways To Use The Filling
This homemade hostess cupcake filling recipe isn’t just for cupcakes! You can use this recipe for almost anything that needs a cream filling. Try using it in:
- Layer cakes
- Yellow cakes
- Spice cakes
- Donuts
- Creme horns
- Gingerbread cakes
- Whoopie pies
- Homemade snack cakes
Save Money With Homemade Treats
Making homemade snack cakes is an easy way to save money while still giving your family fun desserts they enjoy. You get fresher ingredients, better flavor and more filling than most packaged treats — at a much lower cost.
Our Dining On A Dime Cookbook Volume 1 is packed with easy recipes and money-saving ideas, including this homemade hostess cupcake filling recipe, to help you make delicious meals and treats without spending a fortune.
Click here to get our Dining On A Dime Cookbooks 25% Off NOW! They’re filled with tasty recipes and tips to make your life easier!
Homemade Hostess Cupcake Filling Recipe
This homemade hostess cupcake filling recipe creates the rich, fluffy cream center that tastes just like the classic snack cakes you loved as a kid — only better and fresher! Perfect for cupcakes, cakes and freezer treats, this easy filling whips up light, sweet and irresistibly creamy every time.
- Yield: Fills 20-24 cupcakes.
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 30 minutes without stopping, scraping the bowl occasionally. The long mixing time gives it that classic “Hostess-style” texture.
- Spoon the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a long pastry tip.
- Insert the tip into the center of each cupcake and gently squeeze in the filling.
- Frost cupcakes as desired.
Notes
- Kids love to take these cupcakes in lunches.
- This filling also works great as a layer cake filling.
- These cupcakes freeze well. Many people love eating them straight from the freezer.
- For extra smooth filling, make sure the butter is fully softened before mixing.
- If the filling seems grainy, continue beating a few more minutes until smooth and fluffy.
Twinkie Filling Recipe (Marshmallow Cream Filling)
This Twinkie filling recipe makes the perfect fluffy marshmallow cream filling that tastes just like the classic snack cakes you grew up loving! Light, creamy and incredibly easy to make, this sweet filling is perfect for cupcakes, cakes, whoopie pies and homemade Twinkies.
Ingredients
1 (7 oz.) container marshmallow creme
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp. heavy cream or whole milk, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3–5 minutes until the filling is light, fluffy and silky smooth.
- Use immediately to fill cupcakes, cakes or homemade snack cakes.
Notes
- For a thicker filling, add a little more powdered sugar.
- For a softer, creamier filling, add an extra teaspoon of cream.
- This filling works great in cupcakes, layer cakes, whoopie pies and homemade Twinkies.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let soften slightly before using.
Tawra,
Loved the idea for making cupcakes with the hostess like frosting put inside the cupcake. I want to try that sometime.
I have an easy suggestion to keep your frosting from coming off your cakes and brownies. Spray the middle area of plastic wrap with Pam or any buttery cooking spray. Make sure you set the frosting part on that sprayed area and wrap it up. If doing a whole bunch cover the plastic wrap almost completely with the cooking spray. My husband now enjoys lunches with brownies that keep their frosting.
This is a great idea, but are the directions right? Beat for 30 MIN? What happens if you do less? I bet the kids will love to help with this recipe! Thanks!
Yes, 30 minutes is right. :-) Tawra
30 mins. is right but since I have only a hand mixer to stand for 30 mins mixing is hard so I usually mix it sitting down at the table and read while I do it. I have fudged sometimes and done it for only 20 mins when I was in a hurry but the longer you do it the lighter and fluffier it gets.
Jill
At what speed do I use on the mixer?
I do high.
We love this frosting! I wanted to let you know that it is also really yummy in crepes. The kids thought it would be fun to make crepes after supper one night. I was out of whipped topping and didn’t have any heavy cream to make homemade whipped cream, so I happened to have some of this frosting left-over in the freezer. I got it out, defrosted it, gave it a little whip-up and wa-lah! It goes great with whatever fruit filling (or chocolate pudding) they put in them. This has now become the asked for ingredient when we crave dessert crepes.
I know this is a stretch, but is there a “healthier” option with NO shortening, and less sugar? Has anyone tweaked this and still have the yummy factor?
Hi ladies
I was wondering if anyone besides me is having problems with the new shortening that is not partially hydrated. The end product does not seem to come out the same. Also if so-have you done any experimenting to get the right results.
I am at 7,000 ft altitude, but I usually add a couple Tablespoons of flour.
I also cannot get pie crust to come out the same and does not roll very well. Talked to another lady that lives at 6,000 ft. and she was having the same problem with pie dough.
Is that powdered sugar or confectioners sugar?
Valerie powdered sugar and confectioners sugar are the same thing but for this recipe it doesn’t call for those it calls for regular white sugar. When you see sugar in our recipes usually it means regular white sugar. I know it seems like when making a filling it should use powdered sugar but it doesn’t.
LOL I have no idea why I typed that. I meant granulated sugar or confectioners. lol Thanks
No problem- I do stuff like that all the time so it makes me feel better that some else does it too.:)
Jill
Where is the recipe for the cupcake itself???
Margaret you can use any cupcake recipe you want. We usually use just a box cake mix. You also can do them in chocolate like the original or any flavor. Here is a whole list of the cupcake itself if you need one. https://www.livingonadime.com/10-best-cupcake-recipes/
Thanks! This icing looks like something I’m looking for cupcakes I’m baking soon, and I do love those Hostess treats. Though my mixer going for 30 minutes might drive me up the wall!
Oh, I’m so glad to have a recipe for this! The Hostess ones haven’t been worth purchasing in ages now, there’s practically no flavor! And the other brands that taste so much better are that much harder to find. It’s good to be able to make your own.
Can the filling be frozen for later use?
Yes it can. This is one of my favorite things about this recipe is you can freeze any leftover filling or make a double batch so you can freeze some and the next time you need it all you have to do is to make the cupcakes and fill. You can also make a layer cake with this and spread the filling between the 2 layers. You can keep the whole thing in the freezer and it is so refreshing to have a cake like this on a hot summer day and you didn’t have to heat up the kitchen that day to bake it.
I have made this several times – it has become my favorite filling to put between cake layers lately. Thanks so much for sharing!
My recipe is not fluffy and the sugar is stilk grainy. Not sure what happened.
You probably didn’t beat it enough. This is one time you have to beat it for no less than 30 mins
What is the recipe for the frosting on top
You really can use any frosting.