Skip to Content

How Many Calories In A Hostess Cupcake?

170 calories in a Hostess chocolate cupcake is a reasonable amount for a snack in a standard daily diet of 2000 calories, but what exactly is in these calories? Let’s break it down.

Nutrition Facts label for a Hostess cupcake

Hostess Cupcake Nutrition Facts

Total fat 6g

  • Saturated Fat 2.5g
  • Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 5mg

Sodium 240mg

Total Carbohydrates 29g

  • Dietary Fiber 1g
  • Total Sugars 19g
  • Includes 19g Added Sugars

Protein 1g

Vitamin D 0mcg

Calcium 110mcg

Iron 1.3mg

Potassium 0mg

Ingredients label for Hostess cupcakes

Hostess Cupcake Ingredients

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that ingredients be listed in the order of predominance, meaning ingredients used the most down to ingredients used the least.

The maker doesn’t have to give away the exact proportions of their secret recipe but consumers may want to know what is in any particular food product in case of food allergies, as part of a weight loss effort or for general nutrition advice.

Here are the ingredients of Hostess chocolate cupcakes:

Sugar – common sugar is a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose.

Water

Enriched Flour (bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate or reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid) – the bran and germ is removed from regular flour, so iron and B vitamins are added back.

High fructose corn syrup – made from corn starch, some proportion of glucose has been enzymatically converted to fructose.

Palm oil – a vegetable oil derived from the palm tree. Palm oil contains about the same amount of saturated fat as butter.

Corn syrup – also from corn starch, corn syrup is 100% glucose.

Cocoa – chocolate!

Soybean oil – a vegetable oil derived from the soybean plant.

Tallow – a form of rendered animal fat.

(2% or less):

  • glycerin – used to retain moisture
  • cocoa processed with alkalai
  • modified cornstarch – used for texture
  • baking soda – to help the batter rise when baked
  • salt – also known as sodium chloride
  • corn starch – a carbohydrate extracted from the endosperm of corn
  • dextrose – a simple sugar made from corn and chemically identical to glucose
  • whey – a protein found in milk
  • hydrogenated tallow
  • inulin – a type of fiber found in certain plant foods, most commonly chicory
  • egg
  • calcium carbonate – contains calcium and acts as a preservative
  • sorbic acid and potassium sorbate (to retain freshness)
  • calcium sulfate – another source of calcium
  • enzymes
  • egg whites
  • mono and diglycerides
  • sodium acid pyrophosphate – used to adjust the pH, maintain color and improve water-holding capacity
  • cottonseed oil
  • natural and artificial flavors
  • sodium stearoyl lactylate – adds softness and extends the shelf life of dough
  • agar – a natural vegetable gelatin
  • xanthan gum – a food stabilizer and thickener
  • soy lecithin – a natural emulsifier used as an antioxidant and flavor protector
  • polysorbate 60 – an emulsifier
  • cellulose gum – insoluble plant fiber used to improve texture and mouthfeel
  • locust bean gum – natural plant-based fiber used as a thickener
  • monocalcium phosphate – helps the batter rise without yeast
  • titanium dioxide – for color
  • disodium phosphate – used to thicken, stabilize and maintain moisture
  • sunflower oil – vegetable oil derived from sunflower seeds
  • chocolate liquor – a semi-liquid form of pure chocolate
  • defatted soy flour – prevents food from getting stale

Allergy warning: these cupcakes contain wheat, egg, milk and soy.

Screen shot of Hostess cupcakes cupcake selector with images of different cake and icing combinations of hostess cupcakes

Choosing Your Hostess Cupcake

Hostess has a big selection of cupcakes, so much so that they have an animated cupcake selector so you can easily choose from all the cupcake possibilities.