Ding Dong Cake

This Copycat Hostess Ding Dong Cake recipe is a rich, decadent chocolate cake, with a creamy filling and chocolate ganache spread over the top! So easy, you’ll love it!

I wish I could apologize for today’s chocolate insanity, but I’m not sorry. Sometimes you just need a little comfort food to get you through the day, the week, the month, the year. Am I right?

Growing up my mom would buy us Little Debbie snacks and Hostess snacks for our lunch boxes. We never knew what she would come home with, but I always got a little giddy when a box of Ding Dongs were in the cabinet. Tell me you remember these treats? Honestly, they tasted just like HoHo’s but a different shape.

Two layers or chocolate cake with a cream filling, all coated in chocolate.

Look familiar? Today’s Ding Dong Cake is just that, only….bigger!

How to make a Ding Dong Cake:

Step 1: Start by baking up two 9-inch chocolate cakes. I used my favorite chocolate cake recipe for this, so fudgy and perfect. If you choose to go with a boxed mix, make sure it’s a rich and fudgy version, like a Devil’s Food cake.

Step 2: Next you’ll make the cream filling. It’s a less sweet buttercream frosting, sometimes called Ermine frosting. A friend at our old church called it boiled milk frosting. But I think that sounds gross, so let’s call it cream filling.

You’ll first put your cold milk and flour in a small saucepan and whisk until the lumps are gone. Heat this up until thick, stirring the whole time. You want to keep stirring and heating until it becomes thick, almost like pudding. Be patient.

Once your milk mixture is thick, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. COOL. Very important here. You don’t want this warm and melting your butter in the next step.

Step 3: In a mixing bowl, cream your butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Slowly add in the COOLED milk mixture, beating until it resembles a thick whipped cream or frosting. Don’t be scared if it initially appears curdled, keep beating!

Step 4: Spread this thick layer of cream filling between your two cooled chocolate cake layers.

Step 5: Whip up some chocolate ganache (follow recipe instructions below) and pour it over the top and sides. Allow it set, and enjoy.

Can you freeze Ding Dong Cake?

Yes! Wrap slices of cake in plastic wrap and slide into freezer safe ziploc bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator and serve. 

Ding Dong Cake Recipe

Prep Time1 hour

Cook Time25 minutes

Total Time1 hour 25 minutes

This Copycat Hostess Ding Dong Cake recipe is a rich, decadent chocolate cake, with a creamy filling and chocolate ganache spread over the top!

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
• 1/2 cup milk

For the cream filling:

• 5 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar

For the ganache:

• 1 bag (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

For the cake:

1. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a measuring cup, combine cooled coffee with milk*. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Slowly add in dry ingredients and alternate with the coffee/milk mixture (about 3 additions of each).
5. Once all the ingredients are added, beat cake mixture for about 2-3 minutes until fluffy (scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed).
6. Divide cake batter into the two cake pans. Bake in oven for 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool about 10 minutes in pan. Invert on a wire rack and cool completely.

For the cream filling:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the flour with milk, whisking until lumps removed. Turn on medium heat and continue to whisk until mixture becomes thick, like a pudding.
2. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool completely.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar, beat until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Slowly add in the COOLED milk mixture, beating until combined. It may curdle slightly in the beginning, that's okay, keep beating until it becomes the texture of whipped cream!

For the ganache:

1. In a glass bowl (safe for the microwave) combine semi sweet chocolate with heavy cream. Heat for 1 minute. Remove from microwave and stir until smooth (you may need to heat for another 15-30 seconds). Do not over heat. Set aside while you begin to assemble the cake.

To assemble:

1. Place first layer of cooled cake on a cake plate. Top it with ALL of the cream filling. Add the second layer of cake on top.
2. Slowly pour the ganache over the cake, using an offset spatula to help cover the top and sides. Allow to set, about 15 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

*The coffee in the cake does NOT give it a coffee flavor, it just boosts the chocolate flavor. If you desire, you can replace the 1/2 cup of coffee with an additional 1/2 cup of milk instead (making the total amount 1 cup of milk)

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Wilton Bake Even Cake Strips, 2-Piece
• 
  KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield, 5-Quart, Empire Red
• 
  Cuisinart AMB-9RCK 9-Inch Chef's Classic Nonstick Bakeware Round Cake Pan, Silver

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

 16

Serving Size:

 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 462Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 198mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 1gSugar: 37gProtein: 4g