The Worst Hostess Snack Is Too Basic, Boring, And Bland For Our Taste

Sorry, Hostess, but you're basic — at least your cupcakes are. In our ranking of every Hostess snack, its cupcakes came in last place. It does pain us to say this about the original Hostess treat. The cupcake debuted in 1919 (albeit without the white icing squiggle and the cream filling), and it has acquired its fair share of fans in the last 100-plus years. Our reviewer didn't even hate this baked good — she just found it boring.

The chocolate version was the best, but still dull. The cake was tender, but the flavors were off. The orange tasted medicinal, the strawberry was too light, and even the chocolate had an odd aftertaste. Our reviewer tried 14 different Hostess products and rated them based on how much she enjoyed each treat. If you're looking for a better chocolate cupcake, you could give the Little Debbie version a try, as it looks almost exactly the same. That cupcake, while a little less chocolatey, has better icing and received a decent rating in our ranking of Little Debbie snacks.

If you want to try your hand at making the iconic but, in our opinion, disappointing Hostess cream-filled chocolate cupcakes with the little swirls on top, it's not too difficult. Start by making your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, then let the cakes cool. Place the cream filling into a frosting bag with a star tip. Insert that into the top of each cupcake and squeeze the filling in until the top begins to rise. Pull it out, cover the cupcake with your preferred chocolate frosting, and add a vanilla squiggle on top. Voilà!

Hostess may have sold one of the first mass-produced cupcakes — and may have been the first to fill them with cream — but there are plenty of copycats these days for those who don't have the time to bake. In addition to Little Debbie's offering, you can also try the TastyKake version. Plenty of local bakeries make excellent cupcakes, as well. Take a look at our list of the best cupcakes in every state to find a great-tasting variation of this treat near you.