This Easy Ding Dong Cake is as much fun to eat as it is to say! A delicious chocolate cake recipe that’s perfect for weekends, holidays, potlucks, BBQs or anytime you need a chocolate fix.
Ding Dong Cake: An Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe!
Most of us remember what a treat it was to get Hostess treats growing up. Sweet little packages of cupcakes, cakes and pies! This is a take on the Hostess Ding Dong Snack Cakes! You are in for the ultimate chocolate treat with this one! So perfect for surprising your family and friends during Holidays and parties.
Try my Funfetti Bundt Cake recipe too! Follow Picky Palate on Instagram for daily recipe inspiration.
What Is A Ding Dong Cake?
A Ding Dong Cake is a play on the popular Hostess Ding Dong Snack Cakes that consist of a moist chocolate cake with a creamy filling inside and covered with a chocolate ganache. This dessert is loved by all. Perfect for your next upcoming party!
What You’ll Need
Let’s take a look at the ingredients you’ll need to make this decadent cake at home.
- Devil’s Food Cake Mix– Check your grocery store’s baking isle for the cake mixes. Devil’s Food is a nice chocolate cake. You can use regular chocolate cake mix as well.
- Canola Oil– Canola oil is added to the cake mix. Vegetable oil works just fine too.
- Heavy Whipping Cream– The cream is also added to the cake mix batter. You can substitute a 2% or higher milk if needed.
- 4 Large Eggs– For consistency, I always use large eggs in my cooking and baking.
- Sour Cream– Use a full fat sour cream for the recipe.
- Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix– Find the pudding mixes near the cake mixes down the baking isle. Make sure the box says instant and not cook and serve.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips– Semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips work just fine here.
- Corn Syrup– Find corn syrup down the baking isle of the grocery store. It’s makes up part of the filling for the cake.
- Marshmallow Cream– Marshmallow cream is used to make the filling. Find it down the baking isle near the bagged marshmallows.
- Butter- I generally use salted butter for my recipes, unsalted works just fine too.
- Vanilla– For best tasting results use pure vanilla extract.
How To Make A Ding Dong Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray two 9 inch cake pans generously with cooking spray. Place cake mix, eggs, oil, whipping cream, sour cream and pudding mix into a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Beat until well combined. Cake mix will be thick. Divide batter between the two cake pans and bake for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove pans from oven and let cool completely. Use a plastic knife to loosen edges of cake. When cool, flip pans to remove cakes. Use long serrated knife to cut top of one of the cakes if not straight. I removed a thin top layer to make bottom cake flat. Place flat cake on top of a cake stand.
Ding Dong Cake Filling and Ganache
- To prepare filling, place butter, marshmallow cream and vanilla into a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Beat until smooth and well combined. Place most of filling on cake that’s on the cake stand. Spread evenly, leaving a 1 inch border. Carefully top with second cake layer.
- To prepare ganache, place chocolate chips over a double boiler to melt. Stir until melted and smooth. Slowly stir in heavy cream until combined and smooth. Stir in corn syrup until smooth.
- Carefully pour desired amount of ganache over top of cake letting some drip down sides. I had some extra ganache left over. Serve cake slices at room temperature.
Your cake batter will be very thick, divide into two parts for your cake pans.
Transfer half of the cake batter into two generously greased cake pans and use a spoon to spread to edges of pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from centers. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Right when you remove cakes from oven, take a plastic knife and run around edges to loosen cake. I find this helps cakes to flip when cooled a little nicer.
Flip cakes onto a large piece of parchment paper right side up.
I take a long serrated knife to cut off top of one of the cakes so that the bottom layer is completely flat without any slight rise in the center. Snack on the piece that you cut off, it’s delicious.
How to Make a Ding Dong Cake Filling
You are going to LOVE this creamy sweet filling. I used my hand mixer to beat 2 sticks of softened salted butter, vanilla and two 7 ounce jars of marshmallow cream until creamy and well combined. Take a little taste, it’s smooth and perfectly sweet without being too sweet.
Spread filling over bottom cake layer that you cut the top layer off. Leave a small 1/4-1/2 inch border around edges, so that when you put the top cake layer on top, the filling won’t fall over the edge.
Carefully place second cake on top of filling layer.
How To Make Chocolate Ganache
I like to set up a double boiler, meaning you boil water in a sauce pan then reduce the heat to medium-low, place a heat proof bowl over the top of the water and add your chocolate. Stir until melted. Slowly stir in the heavy cream and corn syrup until smooth. I also like to let my ganache cool for 10-15 minutes so it thickens slightly before pouring over my cake. This will prevent the chocolate from running over the edges too quick. You want a nice controlled pour with the ganache just the right thickness. Be patient and let it cool for a good 15 minutes, stirring often to keep it smooth.
When the chocolate ganache is at the right consistency (not too thin, not too thick) carefully pour in small amounts to start. I take a spoon to help cover the top and push some of the chocolate over the edges to get the look in the finished photos. By pouring small amounts of ganache at a time, it’s easiest to achieve the dripping chocolate on the sides look.
How To Serve A Ding Dong Cake
Serve the cake in slices on individual plates with some fresh whipped cream, ice cream and even the leftover chocolate ganache you have left. Warm ganache in microwave as needed. It’s nice to drizzle over individual slices if desired.
How To Store A Ding Dong Cake
Cover your leftover cake with foil or plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Can You Freeze Ding Dong Cake?
If you’d like to freeze your cake, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and place into a Ziplock bag or airtight tupperware container for a couple of months in the freezer. Thaw to room temperature before enjoying.
Easy Ding Dong Cake
Equipment
- Oven
- cake pan
- saucpan
- mixing bowl
- electric mixer
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3.4 ounce box instant chocolate pudding mix
Filling
- 2 sticks salted butter softened
- two 7 ounce containers marshmallow cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Ganache
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray two 9 inch cake pans generously with cooking spray. Place cake mix, eggs, oil, whipping cream, sour cream and pudding mix into a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Beat until well combined. Cake mix will be thick. Divide batter between the two cake pans and bake for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove pans from oven and let cool completely. Use a plastic knife to loosen edges of cake. When cool, flip pans to remove cakes. Use long serrated knife to cut top of one of the cakes if not straight. I removed a thin top layer to make bottom cake flat. Place flat cake on top of a cake stand.
- To prepare filling, place butter, marshmallow cream and vanilla into a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Beat until smooth and well combined. Place most of filling on cake that's on the cake stand. Spread evenly, leaving a 1 inch border. Carefully top with second cake layer.
- To prepare ganache, place chocolate chips over a double boiler to melt. Stir until melted and smooth. Slowly stir in heavy cream until combined and smooth. Stir in corn syrup until smooth. For best results, let ganache cool for 10-15 minutes before pouring over cake. Stir often to keep smooth, I like my ganache to thicken slightly to make the best drips over the top of the cake.
- Carefully pour desired amount of ganache over top of cake letting some drip down sides. I had some extra ganache left over. Serve cake slices at room temperature.
Nutrition
Pin Easy Copycat Ding Dong Cake
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Can I make this cake in a sheet cake pan and double the recipe??
Hi Shirley, I haven’t tried that method, can’t say for sure but I imagine it would be fine. You’ll have to keep an eye on the bake time.
This was the best cake I’ve ever made and was not too sweet!
If I make the cake the day before, should I put in the refrigerator overnight?
Yes, I would refrigerate overnight 🙂
I’ve made 3 of these cakes and they was soooo delicious. But the first one I made they marshmallow was really gooey and delicious. The next 2 that I made the marshmallow cream was a bit firmer. Not sure what happened but they was also very delicious. Great recipe love it
Very good! I increased the sour cream to a cup and used whole milk rather than heavy cream in the batter. I hollowed out the cakes enough to fill with the cream, and enveloped it with the ganache for a more authentic Ding Dong look. The cream was somewhat too buttery for my taste, but the whole thing was a hit at the office.
Do you think I can make the cake layers the day before and make the filing/ganache and assembly the day of my party?
Yes, I think that would be just fine.
This cake is so moist and delicious!
Next time I would like to make it using a yellow or other flavor of cake, omit the chocolate to replace with vanilla or butterscotch pudding for the filling. Same with the ganache using butterscotch chips to melt. Sounds good hey?
For the filling I use fluff and 1 cool whip with a little cream cheese and 1tsp of vanilla , for the ganache I used fudge frosting melted in microwave and poured it over cake and spreading the sides then refrigerate till icing got hard! It was delish!
I agree too much ganache, I would cut the recipe in half and use milk chocolate chips. Also too much filling. Mine ran over the sides. For filling next time I’d use 1 tub fluff. 1 tube whipped cream cheese and 1 tsp vanilla. But it’s always fun to try new recipe and tweak them for your desired results.
This looks amazing! Also, where is the cake stand from?
I get most of my cake stands from Home Goods.
Love this! What an amazing cake idea! Makes me think of my childhood.