[krazykat1999]

can anyone please tell me how to make the frosting that is like whats on a hostess cupcake its gets flat and hard kinda crunchy like the frosting on a maple bar what do i do to make those?

[jessiquina]

does that stuff even have any flavor? its made of chemicals and weird fat im assuming. i just posted something that might help you in the professional pastry chefs forums called "all you need in frosting and icing" . hope i helped.

[lentil]

Having just made "hostess" cupcakes today, I can tell you that the frosting I used (not the decorations, but the chocolate) was a ganache. Heat 1 cup of heavy cream, remove from heat and add 1 1/2c of good quality chocolate chips and stir until smooth. You can add vanilla or not. We did. Let the ganache cool and then pour over cupcakes or dip the tops in the ganache.

The white decorations on the cupcakes is simply conf sugar and water. Make it thick enough to pipe on.

[Risque Cakes]

it seems that the topping for the Hostess cupcake is a circle of chocolate fondant without too much chocolate flavor..lol

[siduri]

i agree with risque cakes, it's not a ganache, which would be soft, or smooth, instead the hostess cupcakes i remember are more fudgy, and would be fondant. If you want to reproduce it (with more flavor, or even not) you'd have to start with a cooked fondant, the kind you boil sugar and water, then pour on the marble table and scrape up till it crystallizes. Not sure how you get it to be chocolate, i think by adding melted chocolate to it after it;s crystallized

[GourmetCupcakes]

I think you are referring to Ganache.

[jfield]

I would guess that you'd want something that mimics the look of that Hostess topping but actually tastes really good. In that case, I would definitely go with the ganache that lentil suggests.

Chocolate fondant would also work and give you a more "fudgy" bite. It will taste more like a tootsie roll. You can either make it yourself (kind of a pain and pretty messy) or buy it, roll it, cut out a circle and attach it to the cupcake with some corn syrup glue.