Best Homemade Ding Dong Cake Recipe

Back in the day, I always had a soft spot for the fudgy Hostess Ding Dongs that I couldn’t help but plead with my mom for more. Since my first days as a baker, my dream has been to recreate that childhood treat in a bigger, more decadent form. And now, allow me to introduce you to my grand show – a giant chocolate cake with cream filling that will bring back some happy childhood memories!

Why This Chocolate Cream Filled Cake Is Always A Hit

A lovely reminder of our childhood: Remember the bite-sized Hostess Ding Dongs? Who didn’t love them as a kid? If you crave a slice of childhood, indulge in this giant Ding Dong cake and let it drive you back to the good old days.

A feast for the taste buds: Looking at the glossy, smooth chocolate coating itself is enough to make your mouth water. Just imagine how decadent it is to sink your teeth into that richness. Be prepared to experience its chocolate explosion pleasantly delivered through its soft, moist cake and velvety ganache. But wait, there’s more! The fluffy, buttery ermine frosting in the middle even adds another layer of richness and nuanced flavor that leaves you licking the very last morsel on your fingers.

A crowd-pleaser for any occasion: Who can resist such a chocolate paradise? Kids and adults alike, we’re all after this hit! So, you can whip it up for your birthday party, family get-togethers, potlucks, afternoon tea, or simply a movie night. 

15 Steps To Make Ding Dong Cake

Ingredients

The good news is that this luscious cake doesn’t require fancy stuff; just prepare these simple ingredients:

For the sponge cake

• Flour: We’ll just stick with all-purpose flour here.
• Cocoa powder: Our secret weapon to the chocolate punch we all crave. Remember to use natural cocoa powder since the Dutch type can mess up with the baking soda.
• Hot coffee: Why the trouble? You might ask. But here me out, the addition of hot coffee will trigger a flavor bomb of cocoa powder and chocolate, taking the flavor to a whole new level. I always use instant coffee, but if you don’t have any on hand, hot water can work in a pinch.
• Buttermilk: I love adding some buttermilk so that it can work its tangy magic to moisten my cake, giving me a soft and flavorful base. No buttermilk? Swap it out for regular milk plus a couple teaspoons of lemon juice or vinegar.
• Sugar: I use a mix of light brown sugar and granulated sugar for an extra layer of complexity. 
• Egg: We need 2 eggs plus 1 yolk to reach a moist, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
• Others: salt, melted butter, oil, and vanilla extract for more depth of flavor.

For the filling & chocolate ganache

• Chocolate: The star of the show! I always use semi-sweet chocolate for my chocolate treats like this one, my triple chocolate cake, or triple chocolate mousse cake. It strikes a sweet spot between the sweetness and chocolate flavor. You can use chocolate chips, chopped baking bars, or couverture chocolate.
• Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar is not a common choice for frosting (here is the ermine filling). But you see, there’s quite a lot of sweet stuff in my recipe, so I wanna cut down on the sweetness a bit. I go for 1 cup of granulated sugar rather than several cups of icing/powdered type.
• Heavy whipping cream: It’ll make our ganache creamy like a dream.
• Butter (unsalted): We need about 1 cup to infuse a delightful buttery note into our filling.
• All-purpose flour: Another strange ingredient for frosting, right? But flour will thicken the ermine frosting and turn it into a pudding-like filling.
• Others: salt, vanilla extract, and whole milk

Instructions

Make the filling base

Step 1

Grab a medium-sized saucepan and mix in 1 cup of sugar, 5 tablespoons of flour, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Slowly pour in 1 cup of whole milk while still whisking until combined.

Step 2

Turn on the stovetop and keep stirring the mixture on medium heat until it thickens and turns into a pudding-like texture. One tip to know when the filling base is ready is to pay attention to the whisk. If it leaves a trail as you stir around, you’re good to go.

Step 3

Turn off the stovetop and pour the mixture into a heatproof bowl, using a silicone spatula to scrape off the saucepan. Take a piece of wax paper (or a towel) to cover the frosting base, pressing it down to the surface. Put aside and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Make the cake

Step 4

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 175°C. Grab two 8-inch round pans and line them with parchment paper. Grease them with oil and sprinkle some flour on the sides of the pans. Set them aside.

Step 5

Mix 1 ¾ cups of flour, 2 cups of brown and granulated sugar (1 cup each), ¾ cup of cocoa powder, ¾ teaspoon of salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder in a large bowl. 

Hold on! Don’t grab your electric mixer just yet! As we’re just dealing with dry stuff here, the mixer can splash everything on your counter. So, just use a whisk and mix the dry ingredients by hand first.

Step 6

It’s time for the mixer to shine! Dump in ½ cup of cooking oil (I use vegetable oil, but canola or avocado oil works just fine) and ½ cup of melted butter. Beat them well using an electric stand or hand mixer with a paddle attachment until incorporated.

Step 7

Fold in 2 large eggs, 1 egg yolk, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract until combined. Gradually pour in 1 cup of buttermilk and mix it until it blends well with the batter. Next is the hot coffee. Stir them well until they reach a smooth, well-combined consistency.

Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl while mixing.

Pro tip: Don’t go overboard with the mixing! Or else, your cake will turn out as tough as rubber!

Step 8

Pour the batter into two greased pans and bake at 350°F for 33 to 35 minutes. Well, our cakes will come in a dark chocolate hue, so it’s hard to tell if it’s done by the color. This is when my toothpick test comes in handy: Insert it into the middle of each cake. If it comes out clean or with only a few crumbs, your cakes are ready.

Let them rest in the pans for around 10 to 15 minutes. Then, free them out of the pans and allow them to cool completely on a rack. 

Pro tip: If your cakes look domed, use a serrated knife to level them out.

Make the chocolate ganache

Step 9

Add 1 cup of heavy whipping and 8 oz of semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat it in the microwave on high for about 35 seconds. 

Whisk the mixture well and microwave for another 25 seconds. 

Stir the ganache until it’s smooth but not too runny. The sweet spot is it won’t drip off the whisk. If it’s still too thick to spread, put it in the microwave for another 25 seconds. Set it aside to cool. 

Pro tip: Remember to stir it occasionally while you’re whipping up the filling so that it’s still spreadable when we dress up the decadent cake. 

Make the filling

Step 10

Add 1 cup of butter into a mixing bowl and beat it well on high speed using a stand or hand mixer with a paddle or whisk attachment. Stop mixing when the butter becomes fluffy and light.

Pro tip: The butter should be softened but not to the point that it’s oily or melty, or your filling will be too runny. But if it’s too cool, the frosting can curdle. Both the butter and the filling base must cool to near room temperature.

Step 11

Remember the filling base we whipped up before? It must cool to near room temperature now.

Switch the mixer to medium speed and pour 1 spoonful of the base mixture at a time. Beat until it’s well blended before continuing with the next. Repeat until you add in all of the filling base. Remember to scrape down the bowl while mixing.

Step 12

Toss in a teaspoon of vanilla extract, increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and whip the filling until airy and smooth. Use a spatula and press the frosting against the side of the bowl to smooth out any trapped air pockets. We aim for a silky, velvety filling here, my friends.

Place the frosting bowl in the fridge for 10 to 20 minutes to set.

Assemble the cake

Step 13

Now that the creamy filling, the cake, and the ganache are completely cool, it’s time for a cake makeover!

Put the first cake layer on your serving plate and top it with an even filling layer. Place the remaining cake layer on the frosting, using a spatula to smooth out the side and keep the filling from spilling. 

Step 14

Let the cake chill out in the freezer for about 15 minutes before dressing it with the chocolate ganache. Doing so will help the frosting and the cake meld together while preventing the topping from melting. 

If the ganache firms up, microwave it for 5 to 10 seconds until spreadable but not liquidy. Then, let it cool again.

Step 15

Give the whole cake a cool embrace of chocolate ganache, both on top and side. Use a spatula to smooth out the surface, giving the cake a picture-perfect look.

Put the entire cake into the fridge for 15 minutes. This allows the cake to set, and a rich chocolate cake always tastes better when served cool, right? Use a thin, sharp knife to slice it and dig in!

Notes

Play around with the filling

You know what? This Ding Dong cake doesn’t have to marry the Ermine filling. It can date around with tons of other frosting! Crave an even more explosive chocolate kick? Stuff the cake with chocolate fudge or chocolate cream cheese! Want a more nuanced sweetness? Vanilla buttercream or marshmallow fluff frosting can hit the right spot!

Fixing soft or curdled frosting

If the filling turns out too runny or soft, give it another 20 to 30 minutes to chill out in the refrigerator to settle. To fix curdled frosting, whip it up using the mixer again. If it doesn’t get better, stack it in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes and re-whip it.

Storage

This delicate cake must be kept in the fridge since room temperature will melt the frosting and ganache topping. Put it in an airtight container, and it can stay fresh for 5 days in the refrigerator.

You can also freeze it, but I prefer freezing each slice separately. Just cover individual slices with plastic wrap and put them in a zip-top bag. Then, whenever the mood strikes, you can grab just enough of your childhood treat.

FAQs

Is There Any Coffee Hint In the Flavor Of This Cake?

Not at all! While we do add some hot coffee to the mix, its flavor will be masked by a rich chocolate taste, leaving just a subtle, lingering hint.

Can I Make A 3-Layer Ding Dong Cake?

Absolutely! Simply divide the cake batter into three 8-inch pans to skip the hassle of guesswork and measuring. It’s just that the cake layers will come out a bit thinner.

What About Ding Dong Cupcakes?

Sure! With the same batter, my recipe can yield about 24 cupcakes if you fill each liner up to ⅔. Bake at 350°F, but reduce the time to 15-17 minutes only.

Happy baking!

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