Ding Dong Cake is a wealthy chocolate layer cake with vanilla bean cream filling & decadent chocolate caramel ganache. A trifecta of scrumptious! It’s a dessert twist on Hostess Ding Dong snack desserts, and WOW is it scrumptious!
It was my son Tom’s birthday. Two days after Christmas, and I used to be nearly desserted-out! He kindly let me have free rein over his birthday dessert, so I picked this Chocolate Ding Dong Cake Recipe. Who wouldn’t love that????

Why You Should Make
- When you like Ding Dongs, this from-scratch cake will knock your socks off!
- It’s the right cake for celebrations.
- It’ll thrill the chocolate lovers in your life.
Ingredient Ideas
- Sugar, Flour, Baking Soda, Cocoa Powder, Salt
- Baking Powder (affiliate hyperlink)- Test the expiration date as baking powder typically expires because it sits within the pantry. You may additionally check it by placing a spoonful in some extremely popular water. If energetic, it ought to bubble vigorously.
- Buttermilk – When you don’t have buttermilk readily available, it may be made by including a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a 1-cup liquid measuring cup. Add 2% or complete milk to the 1-cup mark. Stir and let relaxation for a few minutes to thicken. Repeat if greater than 1 cup is required.
- Scorching Espresso – I’m not a espresso drinker, so I take advantage of immediate espresso and sizzling water. Leftover espresso may also be used.
- Canola Oil
- Eggs – Carry to room temperature for simple incorporation.
- Vanilla Extract and – Use actual, not synthetic extract. When you don’t have entry to vanilla beans, it’s also possible to purchase vanilla bean paste.
- Chocolate – Could use semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate bars.
- Caramel Sauce – Use a great model of store-bought caramel sauce with butter and cream listed as components. You can too make my Simple Microwave Caramel Sauce.
- Unflavored Gelatin – Discover the Knox model close to the Jello merchandise within the grocery retailer.
- Heavy Cream – Must be at the least 36% butterfat.
- Powdered Sugar – Sift earlier than utilizing.

Skilled Ideas
- Grease your pans nicely, and line them with parchment rounds for simple elimination.
- For even layers, use a kitchen scale to ensure every cake has roughly the identical quantity of batter.
- The ganache could be very exhausting to chop by means of when chilly because of the addition of caramel. It’s scrumptious, however be ready to smush your slices a bit whereas reducing. Pass over the caramel sauce if picture-perfect slices are a priority. My household positively doesn’t care!
- PRO-Tip: Rigorously warmth your knife to assist get by means of the ganache. Run it below sizzling water or pour boiling water from a teapot over it, then dry your knife. Repeat as wanted.
- Setting the cake out at room temperature for about an hour earlier than serving will assist heat the ganache. I take advantage of a sawing movement with a serrated knife to slice and check out to not exert an excessive amount of stress, letting the knife do the work as a substitute.
- I decreased the quantity of heavy cream within the filling by ¼ cup from Danielle’s model. I discovered the ratio made a firmer filling. When you take a look at the picture above, discover that the load of the highest layer made the filling bulge only a bit. That is with the upper cream-to-gelatin ratio.
- Make certain to maintain this cake refrigerated whenever you’re not indulging!
Continuously Requested Questions
A Ding Dong is a small chocolate snack cake with a cream filling that’s been distributed by Hostess since 1967. This Ding Dong Cake was impressed by the 2 main elements of the packaged snack meals: chocolate cake and creamy vanilla filling.
It’s finest to retailer your cake within the fridge because of the cream filling. Cowl the place slices have been eliminated with plastic wrap to maintain it recent. The cake shall be good for 3-4 days.
Sure, however refrigerate it first so the topping and filling are chilly and agency. Then wrap nicely in plastic to make it hermetic. Freeze for as much as 3 months. Defrost within the fridge in a single day to serve.

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Elements
Cake:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- ¾ cups cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup sizzling espresso
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 massive eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
Caramel Ganache:
- 10 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 8 ounces home made caramel sauce or best-quality store-bought caramel sauce
Cream Filling:
- 2 tablespoons chilly water
- 1 ¼ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- 1 ¼ cups chilled heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, cut up lengthwise, and seeds scraped from contained in the bean
Directions
- Alter oven rack to the center place. Preheat oven to 350 levels F. Butter and line 2, 8-inch baking pans with parchment paper. Put aside.
- Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the dry components & combine.
- Add the buttermilk, sizzling espresso, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Combine on medium pace till nicely mixed 1-2 minutes.
- Divide batter amongst cake pans and bake till a toothpick inserted comes out virtually clear, about 35 to 40 minutes.
- Let cake cool in pans for about 10 minutes then take away from pans and funky on a cooling rack till utterly cooled. I froze mine at this level, in a single day.
- Make caramel ganache by melting 10 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips within the microwave until melted.
- Stir in 8 ounces of caramel sauce and whisk until easy. Put aside to let thicken.
- Add the chilly water to a small bowl, then sprinkle the gelatin over it. Permit to take a seat for about 10 minutes, till it has set.
- In a small skillet, add about 1/2-inch of water, and warmth over medium-high warmth. Place the small bowl with the gelatin immediately contained in the skillet. Stir the gelatin till it’s melted, about 2 minutes. Take away the bowl from the skillet.
- Within the mixer, use whisk attachment and beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla bean seeds. Beat on excessive to gentle peaks.
- Add the melted gelatin combination and proceed to beat till stiff peaks have fashioned.
- Take the primary cake layer and place it on a cake plate. Unfold with half the ganache. Prime with vanilla bean whipped cream.
- Chill for a couple of half hour to ensure the whipped cream can assist the second layer.
- Add the second layer of cake and the remainder of the ganache. Chill cake.
Notes
The cake could be very tough to slice when chilly, because the ganache will agency up. Take away cake from the fridge at the least an hour earlier than serving to let the ganache soften up a bit. The slices might not be excellent, however they’re going to be scrumptious!
Beneficial Merchandise
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Vitamin Data:
Yield:
16
Serving Measurement:
1 slice
Quantity Per Serving:
Energy: 495Whole Fats: 22gSaturated Fats: 10gTrans Fats: 0gUnsaturated Fats: 11gLdl cholesterol: 50mgSodium: 427mgCarbohydrates: 69gFiber: 3gSugar: 51gProtein: 6g
