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Grain-Free Hostess Cupcake Copycat Recipe

Grain-Free Hostess Cupcake Copycat Recipe made with Otto's Naturals Cassava Flour

Grain-Free Hostess Cupcake Copycat Recipe

We are serving up a healthy dose of nostalgia with these Grain-Free Hostess Cupcake Copycats! This egg-free recipe makes a fluffy chocolate cupcake filled with creamy vanilla frosting, topped with rich chocolate ganache crowned with curlicues of frosting on top. Guaranteed to jazz up a boxed lunch or make for the perfect after school snack.

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Cupcake Ingredients

  • 340 grams Otto’s Naturals – Otto's Naturals - Cassava Flour (or 2 1/2 cups)
  •  2 cups granulated maple sugar (or coconut sugar)
  •  1 teaspoon salt
  •  2 teaspoons baking soda
  •  ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or carob powder for AIP)
  •  ¾ cup avocado oil
  •  2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  •  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  •  2 cups cold water (plus 5-6 Tablespoons more if subbing coconut sugar)

Ganache Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup milk (or any non-dairy milk)
  • 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (or carob chips for AIP)

Vanilla Frosting

  • We used Simple Mills Vanilla Frosting but feel free to use your favorite recipe.

Cupcake Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare muffin pans with liners.
  2. Combine Otto’s Naturals – Cassava Flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa together into a large bowl. Mix.
  3. Make three wells. Pour avocado oil into one well, apple cider vinegar into the second, and vanilla extract into the third well.
  4. Pour cold water over all and stir well with a fork.
  5. Pour into lined muffin tins.
  6. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  7. Let cool.
  8. Once cupcakes are completely cool cut a hole the size of a quarter in the middle using a knife. Remove the cake, squirt in frosting, and smoosh the removed cake over the frosting. Feel free to use half of the removed cake if it doesn't fit.
  9. Place stuffed cupcakes in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Ganache Instructions

  1. Place milk and chocolate on a stovetop over medium heat.
  2. Stir continuously until creamy.
  3. Using a spoon over the top of each cupcake with a ganache.
  4. Let sit till ganache has hardened a bit, about 5 minutes.
  5. If you don’t have a pastry bag add your choice of vanilla frosting into a zip lock bag. Cut a tiny hole in one corner. Pipe frosting on top of the cupcake.
  6. Enjoy.

Hostess Cupcake Copycats Baking Tips

Here are a few of our best tips for baking and storing your Grain-Free Hostess Cupcake Copycats!
  • If you are using coconut sugar instead of maple sugar, you need to add 2 cups plus an additional 5 to 6 Tablespoons of cold water to the cupcake recipe. Not adding the additional water will result in dryer, denser cupcakes.
  • Be sure your milk doesn't get too hot when you're making the ganache. The milk needs to be hot enough to melt your chocolate but not boiling. 
  • While we love filling the cupcakes with vanilla frosting, you can play by your own rules and use any filling you want - or even none at all!

How to keep the hostess cupcake copycat delicious for several days.

Store the homemade Hostess cupcakes in the fridge, but allow them to sit at room temperature for a bit before serving so they aren’t too cold and firm. Your cupcakes will stay fresh for up to about 5 days in the fridge. Alternately, if your house is cool enough, they can be kept covered on the countertop at room temperature for 1-3 days.