Our Copycat Ding Dong Cake will bring you right back to your childhood! Rich, decadent devil’s food chocolate cake mix, layered with a creamy filling and covered in chocolate ganache. A great cake mix hack that you will soon be obsessed with!
Copycat Hostess Ding Dong Cake Recipe
Whether you loved Hostess Ding Dongs as a kid, or you just love a good, homemade chocolate cake recipe, you are going to flip over this chocolatey, cream-filled, Ding Dong Cake!
I remember being a kid and going absolutely crazy over Hostess snacks. Twinkies, Chocolate Cupcakes, Ho-Ho’s, and Sticky Buns… yum! But my favorite was always Ding Dongs.
The creamy frosting-like filling, soft chocolate cake, and delicious chocolate coating were unmatched! I savored those treats with every bite I took. As I grew up, I ate less and less of these delicious snacks (as we all do), but when I first discovered this recipe for a Ding Dong cake I was taken right back to childhood.
Whether you too enjoyed Ding Dongs as a snack, or you are just a lover of all things chocolate and want to try out a fun dessert recipe, you are going to love this cake. It’s so delicious and tastes just as good as those Ding Dongs did all those years ago.
What is a Ding Dong Chocolate Cake?
A Ding Dong Cake is a fun play on the childhood treat from Hostess. Ding Dongs are individual chocolate cakes with a creamy filling, coated in chocolate. This Ding Dong cake is exactly that, only instead of being personal size, it’s a large cake that can be cut into slices!
Ding Dong Cake Recipe ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 box of Betty Crocker Devil’s Food Cake Mix
- 1 3.4 oz package of instant chocolate pudding mix
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup of sour cream
- ½ cup of warm water
- ½ cup of vegetable oil
For the Cream Filling:
- 5 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of butter
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- 12 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 ¼ cups of heavy whipping cream
Ding Dong Chocolate Cake substitutions and additions
Chocolate Pudding Mix: As an alternative to a packet of pudding mix, you can make your own with 3/4 cup of dry milk powder, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of cornstarch and 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa.
Chocolate Chips: If you’re a chocolate lover, you can add an extra cup of chocolate chips to the cake batter. This will make it super chocolatey!
How to make Chocolate Ding Dong Cake
STEP ONE: Make the Cake:
- Cover the bottom of two 9-inch pans with circles of parchment paper. Spray the inside of the pans with cooking oil.
- Mix together the cake mix, chocolate pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, warm water, and vegetable oil.
- Pour into the cake pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. (Insert a toothpick into the cake, if it comes out clean, it’s done.)
PRO-TIP: Do not open the oven door until the cake is done cooking. This will prevent the cake from falling apart. - Cool for 30 minutes and carefully remove from the pans. Set aside until it is completely cool.
STEP TWO: Make the Cream Filling:
- In a small saucepan, whisk the milk and flour over a medium-low heat. When the mixture begins to thicken and forms lumps, remove from the heat and whisk together for another one or two minutes. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Set aside until it is completely cool.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, mix the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy.
PRO-TIP: use the paddle attachment if you have it! - Add the cooled milk and flour mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer, one tablespoon at a time. Mix again until the filling is light and fluffy. PRO-TIP: Make sure that your milk and flour mixture is cooled to room temperature before adding it to the butter and sugar mixture. If it’s too warm it will melt the butter and result in a runny filling that won’t set properly.
- Spread the cream filling over the bottom of one cake. Wipe the sides with a knife to make sure the filling is flat with the side of the cake. Place the second cake on top of the cream filling, bottom side down. Place in the refrigerator.
STEP THREE: Make the Chocolate Ganache:
- Microwave the whipping cream and chocolate chips into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Heat it up for 20 seconds and then stir. Repeat twice more for a total of 60 seconds of heating.
- Use a hand mixer to mix the cream and chocolate until it’s dark brown in color. Let cool on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the fridge and slowly pour the ganache filling over the top of the cake, letting the ganache run down the sides. Use a knife to evenly spread it around the top and sides of the cake.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Homemade Ding Dong Cake Storage
Keep your Ding Dong Cake in the fridge in an airtight container. It will stay good this way for up to 3 days. You can also store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap to make defrosting smaller serving sizes a breeze!
More like this Chocolate Ding Dong Cake
Chocolate Pistachio Cake | No-Bake Berry Icebox Cake | Melting Chocolate Cake (Lava Cake) | The Easiest Eclair Cake – The Perfect No-Bake Dessert | Cherry Dr. Pepper Cake | Blueberry Breakfast Cake | Chocolate Mug Cake
Homemade Ding Dong Chocolate Cake
Video
Ingredients
CAKE INGREDIENTS:
- 1 box Betty Crocker Devil’s Food Cake Mix
- 1 3.4-oz package instant chocolate pudding mix
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup warm water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
CREAM FILLING INGREDIENTS:
- 5 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar
CHOCOLATE GANACHE INGREDIENTS:
- 12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
CAKE DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut 2 circles the same size as the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan out of parchment paper. Place each circle of parchment paper on the bottom of 2 nonstick 9-inch cake pans, then spray the bottom and sides of pans with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine Devil’s Food Cake Mix, instant chocolate pudding mix, 4 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, ½ cup warm water, and ½ cup vegetable oil. Mix together until combined.
- Divide mixture evenly and pour into 9-inch cake pans, directly over the parchment paper.
- Bake in the oven for 28-31 minutes, making sure not to open the oven door until the cake is done cooking. This will prevent the cake from falling in the middle. The cake is done baking when a toothpick is inserted in the middle and comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool on the counter in the pan for 30 minutes.
- Once cake is cooled, flip over (out of the pan) onto a piece of parchment paper on the counter. Continue cooling the bottom of the cake until completely cooled.
CREAM FILLING DIRECTIONS:
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat combine milk and 5 tbsp flour. Whisk together until no lumps remain. Allow mixture to thicken over medium-low heat, whisking slowly the entire time.
- As soon as the mixture thickens and starts to form lumps remove it from the heat and continue to whisk together for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
- Let mixture completely cool down on the countertop before moving on to the next step.
- Once the mixture is cooled add butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium high for 3-4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Slowly add the cooled milk and flour mixture to the mixing bowl, 1 tbsp at a time. Once all of the milk and flour mixture has been added run the mixer until the filling is light and fluffy.
- Spread cream filling over the bottom of one round 9-in cooled cake. Wipe the sides with a knife to make sure the filling is flat with the side of the cake.
- Place the second 9-inch cooled cake on top of the cream filling, bottom side down. Refrigerate while making the ganache mixture.
CHOCOLATE GANACHE DIRECTIONS:
- In a medium mixing bowl combine heavy whipping cream and semi sweet chocolate chips. Microwave for 20 seconds, remove from the microwave and stir together. Repeat two additional times for a total of 60 seconds heat time. Using a hand mixer, mix the heavy cream and chocolate until it is dark brown in color. Let cool on the counter for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator and slowly pour the ganache filling over the top of the cake, letting the ganache run down the sides.
- Spread evenly along the top and sides of the cake.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Jenn’s Notes
- You can add 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips to the cake batter if you want chocolate chips throughout the cake.
- When baking your cake in the oven, make sure not to open the oven door until the cake is done cooking. Opening the oven door before the cake is done cooking might result in the middle of the cake falling down.
- Your milk and flour mixture must be completely cooled down before adding it to the butter and sugar mixture. If added while warm it will melt the butter and it will result in a runny filling that won’t set up properly.
Nutrition Info
You are going to love the chocolatey, creamy, delicious flavor of this Ding Dong cake. It will take you right back to being a kid and enjoying this classic snack. I can’t wait for you to give this wonderful desert a try.
My mom only bought Ding-Dongs for our packed lunches for field trips at the end of the school year. They bring back wonderful memories and I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Only one suggestion – Add the curly-Q white icing along the top to make it REALLY look like a giant Ding-Dong! 🙂
Made this for my family & they all loved it.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WONDERFUL RECIPES!!
Awwwww thank you!