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!
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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.
Love today’s Copycat Hostess Ding Dong recipe? Here are some more copycat recipes I think you will love:
- Decadent and delicious, these Copycat Hostess Cupcakes are better than the original! Fudgy with a cream filling, just like the original!
- If you love those cute snack cakes from the grocery store, then these are going to tempt your taste buds! Homemade Little Debbie Snack Cakes
- These Flourless Chocolate Cookies are a chewy cookie with a crunchy topping! You’ll love the rich chocolate flavor in a unique cookie! Move over Starbucks, we’ve got a copycat recipe on our hands!
- Making Homemade Cracker Jack popcorn is super easy and delicious! Sweet and crunchy, this addictive caramel corn is better than the original!
- The BEST Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake recipe starts with two layers of homemade red velvet cake with a layer of cheesecake in the middle. Topped with delicious cream cheese frosting and white chocolate curls!
- Delicious, easy, copycat Twinkie Cake recipe made with yellow cake and sweet whipped cream filling. The perfect, not overly sweet, cake recipe!
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MORE Cake Recipes:
- Lemon Coconut Cake
- Banana Cake
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- Pumpkin Crunch Cake
- German Chocolate Cake
- Coconut Cake Recipe
- Eclair Cake
- More Desserts!
Ding Dong Cake recipe:
Ding Dong Cake recipe
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:
- Spray two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a measuring cup, combine cooled coffee with milk*. Set aside.
- 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).
- 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).
- 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:
- 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.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool completely.
- 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:
- 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:
- 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.
- 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)
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 462Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 198mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 1gSugar: 37gProtein: 4g
Recipe originally published May 1, 2018
This Copycat Hostess Ding Dong Cake recipe is a rich, decadent chocolate cake, with a creamy filling and chocolate ganache spread over the top!
Can I use Dutch processed cocoa for the cake? Is dark chocolate cocoa powder the same as alkalized? I can’t wait to make this for a birthday!
I made this today. I mixed the water and flour together til smooth. Then heated in the pan on med high til it thickened and whisking the whole time. Took off the heat and let cool. Mixed it into the butter and skugar that I creamed with the mixer. Turned out perfect.
I did EXACTLY like the filling recipe said and noticed after tasting a little before putting the cake together that the filling taste like flour!!! Is this normal?
No that is definitely not normal.
I did this, but for the filling I did 2 sticks salted butter; two 7 oz jars of marshmallow fluff and 1 tsp vanilla! Turned out great!
I haven’t been able to eat Hostess or Little Debbie cakes since I found out that I have Celiac Disease. I made this recipe made with Bob Mills 1:1 Baking Flour and it is exactly like the cakes that I miss. I cut it up into small snack sizes and froze them separated with wax paper. I thoroughly followed the directions and had no problems. So glad I found your recipe on Pinterest. Thank you for sharing.
Followed the receipe and my filling i had to throw away and make chocolate butter cream icing. It did not look like whip cream. It looked curdled i kept mixing it hoping it would get better after 12 mins on my kitchenaid i chucked it. The cake taste great.
As others I had trouble with filling. Tasted like flour and wouldn’t thicken. I adding whipping cream to thicken and a little cream cheese. It’s in the fridge now we’ll see.
Made this today and it was absolutely delicious! I’m trying to do low carb now, so I only had a bite (family ate the rest). It was fun to make and the directions were easy. Now to try to make this low carb & taste good 🤔
Granulated sugar for the frosting?
This is delicious!!! Question: How should I store what is left? In the fridge or not? Thanks!
I think it will be better to put it in the refrigerator.
Good luck!!
My filling is too still thin after mixing for 15 minutes, what can I do to thicken it
What did you do to thicken it? How did it turn out?
It turned out really good. I also had way too.much ganache. But I did find that the icon in the center tasted like flour. Did I do something wrong?
I’ve been making this cake for years, my recipe is slightly different but still delicious & much requested. I’ve always used a Devil’s Food cake mix, my filling mixture is slightly different as is my chocolate frosting. Over all it is well worth the time to make. I have given this recipe away to so many.
Susan, could I have your filling and frosting recipe?
Yes me too!
Going to try it today I used a box cake will see how it turns out thx for sharing
If cake is made the day before, should it be refrigerated? Should left overs be refrigerated?
I dont have a 9 inch tin how long would i cook for in 8 inch tins. Thanks
Can you taste the coffee in it?
Nope not at all!
I’m planning to make this for my daughter’s birthday party. After it is assembled , is it best to store in the fridge? Or would it be OK to leave it out? How does the cream hold up over time? Any other storage tips from others who have already made it?
I keep it out, but I suppose it can also be refrigerated due to the filling? Your call 🙂
I’ve now made this cake twice in less than a week for birthdays. This is a very tasty, moist cake, great recipe! I had made that filling for some other cake in the past but it is very good paired with this particular cake. My only complaint is that the first time I made it I had way too much ganache (though I guess I could have just eaten it all right then and there or chilled it to make truffles). The second time I cut it by 1/4th the amount of chocolate chips and cream and still had too much. That’s not really much of a problem, but a bit wasteful.
Yes, replace with Namaste Gluten free flour 1-1
Does this cake have to be refrigerated #leftovers?
I want to make this on Friday and serve on Sunday. Does it have to in the fridge; or can it sit out in a cake saver?
Can this be made glutenfree
Yes
Is there any way to make this cake gluten free?
I think you could replace the all purpose with Namaste Gluten-free Flour mix…chocolate cake is super forgiving…it is a 1-1 ratio
I took this cake to a Super Bowl party tonight and everyone went nuts. I would recommend making the cake from scratch with the recipe provided. it is more work but it is worth it. The cream filling was perfect…not too sweet and with a great texture. The chocolate ganache was ridiculously easy and possibly my favorite part of this perfect cake. Thank you for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed the cake 🙂
This was the best chocolate cake I have ever tasted! Very moist and flavorful! The cream filling is like the recipe my mom used to make for the filling for Whoopie Pies! I will definitely make this again! Thank you!!
This cake is amazing. I work for a retirement community and they couldn’t get enough of it. I did use a box devil’s food cake with oil, egg. and added chocolate syrup. The filling and ganache were spot on. Thank you for this fantastic dessert.
Five stars!! This was by far one of my favorite cake recipes!! For anyone that says their filling didn’t set, if you have never made boiled milk frosting you have to whip it for at least 10 minutes on high. A stand mixer with the whisk attachment works best. Also make sure you whisk the milk and flour constantly until it’s think.
I just pored the ganache over the top and let it drizzle down the sides. It was beautiful and delicious!!!!
Cream does not work with butter must use crisco.
The cream filling never lost that curdled texture, tried twice, can’t figure out what went wrong. Is there any way to salvage this?
The ganache didn’t set up for me either. It was very runny. I had to add a ton of confectioner sugar to get it to be thick enough to actually spread on the cake.
Wow… EXCELLENT!! I added espresso powder to the filling and that topped the flavor. Lots of steps but we’ll worth it! It goes a long way and everyone loves it!
For anyone about to make this cake, do not just spray the pans the way it says, I knew better but did it anyways and sure enough my cakes would not come loose. They were delicious! But I was unable to assemble because cake fell apart trying to release. I would recommend crisco and flouring or spraying bottoms and putting parchment paper. I already had the cream made so now I will remake the cakes tomorrow.
Like others spraying the pan did NOT work. You need to grease and flour the pans. Plus I believe the liquid needs to be upped a little. Except, the cream needs to be decreased to 1 Cup. It looks terrible but I hope it tastes ok.
Oh my gosh, this looks amazing! Ding Dongs were one of my favorites when I was a kid, partly because they were wrapped in that silver foil. I definitely have to make this. And I used to make ermine frosting all the time, but I didn’t know it had a name – I called it “Whipped cream frosting”. The original recipe I used had you do the flour mixture in a small pan, then stick the pan in the freezer for a few minutes to cool it quickly….because I’m impatient. Works great. Oh….and use the “Miracle Cake Release” (found on Pinterest) for your pans – it’s awesome!
This cake is a keeper. Turned out really nice followed the easy directions exactly the way it says and it turned out great. This cake is very tasty I don’t eat much of my own cooking but this one I did. I’m making it again tonight on request of many. Thanks for this recipe for it is a keeper…
I have a question. Do I put the finished cake in refrigerator to store it or can I leave on counter?
I prefer to keep it at room temperature!
How should i store this is i am making it the night before?
Please help. I’m making the cake today and it’s turning out great except for the ganache. I chilled it for awhile and it’s still running off the cake. Your cake is beautiful with the ganache covering the sides. Mine is covering the cake plate. Right now I have the ganache and the cake chilling to try again. Any suggestions as to what I’m doing wrong. Thanks so much.
Possibly the measurements weren’t correct and you added too much liquid? Not sure what to tell you 🙁
I will be making a champagne cake for my daughter-in-laws Birthday- I was thinking of using the Ding Dong cake cream filling between layers and a buttercream frosting- what do you think?
I made this tonight , the cake was dry, the filling turned out awesome but found that the ganache was too sweet for me. i will try making it again but with a few modifications.
I am confused because in the video of ding dong cake, oil was added? But in the written recipe there is no mention of oil. Please can you clarify?
No oil was added in the video, or the recipe 🙂
I just did this cake for my Bday replaced the strong coffee for a espresso shot. Test like coffee to me 🙂 also found if you refrigerate the frostings and fillings it’s so much easier to work with
Made the cake, it was great. The cream filling never came together correct for me, so I subbed heavy cream & confectioners sugar. It was ok. The ganache turned out well too. So all in all, I’ll probably make it again & tweak it a little.
When I make my gobs I use boiling water, could I do the same instead of the coffee? Cannot wait to try it!!
Hi,
I made this as a birthday cake for a friend. This was a huge it and I would recommend this recipe and have already shared it with family.
So happy to hear it 🙂
Made this cake…turned out nice …i am still left with the cream filling…how long can i freeze it and use it again…as dont have any plans to bake for sometime now..
Darn, tried to rate this but somehow I deleted a star! It should be a 5 star review!!! Easy to prepare and oh so good!
Made cake as recipe described. The cake was really sweet and ganache was thin. My husband and I did not like cake.
Hi.. How long in advance can I make this.. and does it need to be refrigerated while waiting to be eaten? Huge party this weekend and would love to add this..
This cake looks totally fabulous!!!
The name of this intrigued me, we don’t have anything called ding dongs here in Australia so I didn’t realise it was a lunchbox treat.
So I just had to try this cake……it was amazing, the cream filling!!!!! Well I could have eaten that with a spoon! {I may have done that a little 😉 }
A keeper!!!
Just a couple of things… I continued to mix the cream filling as stated but it still looked a little curdled but tastes fine. I chilled the cream filling until slightly firm and used a pastry bag to apply to the cake. Also, on my first attempt I merely sprayed the cake pans like recommended but the cake stuck to the pans horribly. Second attempt I used a flour and cocoa mixture to “flour” the pans after spraying and the cakes came out fine. Using parchment paper would probably work too. It is also best not to put the chocolate chips in the microwave but instead merely heat the cream and pour over the chocolate. My chocolate chips did NOT like being microwaved even for the initial one minute. This cake has a VERY deep/dark chocolate taste. A lady at my office begged me to make this cake for her after seeing this recipe on facebook… so I hope it is well received!
Hi there. We do not drink coffee, so I’m not able to use that ingredient…do you have any suggestions for what I can substitute?
Hi Aimee
I was very intrigued by this cake, especially the filling. I made it this weekend and was absolutely amazed at how delicious this cake is!
The chocolate sponge is soft, airy and moist, the filling has the right amount of sweetness and the combination of the two is perfect. The ganache icing/topping works really well with the cake too.
My advice is don’t hesitate. Make this cake; you’ll be glad you did!
Thank you David, so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
I wantbto use thie cake recipe for cupcakes. What would be tge bake time?
Generally cupcakes bake for 18 minutes @350°. Hope this helps
This looks over the top good! I used to eat so many Ding Dongs as a kid…wow, this looks 1000x better!
Thanks Averie, hope you’re doing well 🙂
I think i just drooled on my phone!!! Thanks. This is 1st on my list for this weekend. Yummy.
Thank you!