Hostess Strawberry Cupcake Cake

This triple-layer Hostess Strawberry Cupcake Cake is filled with fluffy marshmallow crème, wrapped in strawberry white chocolate buttercream, and topped with the signature squiggly loops of icing for the ultimate throwback treat.

Once more, I’m returning to nostalgic snack cakes for baking inspiration. They’ve proven to be a rich well of ideas to draw from, and after making a chocolate , I knew a strawberry version had to happen! Plus, I’ve been longing for spring, and there’s something about a pink cake that fills the void until pink blooms arrive.

This cake isn’t difficult to make and assemble. Especially with the shortcut of ready-made marshmallow crème filling the center. And the decorating is pretty easy, too! It’s just a simple covering of strawberry-white chocolate buttercream and line of cute confectioners’ glaze loops on top. Let’s get into it!

Dry Ingredients

Start by whisking together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl. Secret Ingredient Alert! Add dry instant vanilla pudding mix for extra softness. I also think it imparts the flavor of the original snack cake! There’s a vanilla note in the dry mix that vanilla extract does not replicate. Whisk it all together and set aside.

Strawberry Flavor

Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add dry strawberry Jell-O mix while the mixer runs, allowing the flavors to blend. Fat is the best distributor of flavor, so make sure it’s mixed well. Purists should look away – while this is a scratch-made cake, it isn’t about using real strawberries. It’s all about re-creating the original snack cake flavor.

Add in the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. Next – and another sly ingredient – strawberry drink syrup. Add it in and mix well. You can also substitute 2 teaspoons of in place of the syrup. The cake’s hue will already be pink, but I used a little neon pink food color to brighten it. So, add in a touch of pink gel food coloring if you have it.

Bake and Cool

Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper for easy removal. Alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, then divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in their pans for five minutes before transferring them to wire racks. Once cooled, cut out a 3.5-inch circle from the centers of two cake layers to make room for the filling.

Fill and Frost

The strawberry white chocolate buttercream is flavored with McCormick’s and melted white chocolate. It’s an easy American buttercream that whips up quickly. Place one of the cut-out cake layers on a serving board. Spread a layer of strawberry buttercream along the edges, then stack the second cut-out layer on top.

Food Advertisements by

Fill the cavity with half of the marshmallow crème, letting it settle for a few minutes before adding the rest. (The marshmallow cream will flatten and spread over the course of about 5 minutes.) Once completely filled, top with the final uncut cake layer. Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream and chill for 15 minutes before adding a second, thicker coat. Smooth the sides and top with a cake scraper for a clean finish.

Pipe the Signature Hostess Swirls

Prepare a thick confectioners’ glaze by mixing powdered sugar with a small amount of milk until it reaches a pipeable consistency. Transfer the glaze to a piping bag and snip a small hole in the tip. Pipe the signature squiggly loops across the top of the cake, mimicking the classic design.

The squiggles on the original snack cake are more tightly looped, but for some reason I like bigger loops on top. Big or small – do what feels right to you!

This cake is sweet and delicious! The marshmallow cream really shortcuts the recipe and also helps me conserve my egg usage. (Current egg prices, right? -Ah!) However, if you’re keen on making it homemade, for my scratch-made marshmallow filling.

Serve slices of this Hostess Strawberry Cupcake Cake on their sides instead of standing upright. The filling will fall out of the cake slices otherwise.

If you loved the chocolate version of this cake, the frosted strawberry cake version is sure to win your heart too! It’s bright, flavorful, and full of childhood charm. Try making it for your next celebration or just because you’re in the mood for something sweet and fun.

Related recipe:

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/SprinkleBakes