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!
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!
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
DIRECTIONS:
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!