Ding Dong Cake (Copycat Recipe) (2024)

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:

1. Cover the bottom of two 9-inch pans with circles of parchment paper. Spray the inside of the pans with cooking oil.
2. Mix together the cake mix, chocolate pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, warm water, and vegetable oil.
3. Pour into the cake pans.
4. 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.
5. Cool for 30 minutes and carefully remove from the pans. Set aside until it is completely cool.

STEP TWO: Make the Cream Filling:

1. 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.
2. 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!
3. 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.
4. 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

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.