There are a number of memories that are really good. Â Admit it. Â You liked Ding Dongs too. Â It was always a treat when I found a Hostess dessert in my lunch. Â As a child, there were not a lot of different alternatives to Hostess. Â Today, there are so many and now we choose not to serve them to our kids. Â How times have changed.
This Ding Dong Cake recipe is really good. Â The chocolate covering is so tasty. Â The cream in the middle and the chocolate cake. Â Put all 3 flavors together and your childhood comes flooding back.
One thing I learned with this recipe is that when it says to line a pan with parchment paper, you need to cut it out to fit the pan. Â My cakes were not perfectly round (I tried to hide it in the pics – look close).
INGREDIENTS (adapted from Eats Well With Others):
- 1 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup hot strong coffee
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 9 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 tsp unflavored (kosher/vegan) gelatin
- 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment (cut to the size of the pan) and then coat the paper with spray.
- For the cake, place the cocoa powder and chocolate in a medium metal bowl. Pour the hot coffee over them and let sit for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Â Make sure your butter is good and soft. Â Add the eggs in one at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go as necessary.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl in 3 additions, alternating with the chocolate mixture. Â Divide the batter evenly between the two greased pans and smooth the tops. Â Use an offset spatula if you have one.
- Bake the cakes 32 – 35 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean when inserted. Â Transfer to wire racks and let cool in cake pans for 10 minutes. Â Since I used the whole parchment paper, I needed only to lift out the paper and the whole cake came out. Â (Run a knife around the cakes to loosen and then invert onto wire racks. Peel off the paper and let cool completely. Â Turn cakes over. If needed, use a long serrated knife to cut off any bumps or dome from the top of each cake so that it is flat and even.)
- For the caramel ganache, place the chocolate and salt in a medium bowl. Stir the sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and cook, swirling occasionally (I found you needed to stir quite often), until the sugar is deep amber, about 9 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream. Â Return to the heat, stirring until caramel dissolves. Â Pour over the chocolate. Â Add the vanilla and stir until smooth. Â Let cool slightly.
- Place one cake layer in a springform pan. Pour 1 cup of the ganache over it. Â Put it in the fridge to chill until set, about 30 minutes. Â Cover the remaining ganache and let sit at room temperature.
- For the filling, place 2 tbsp cold water in a small heatproof bowl. Â Sprinkle the gelatin into it and let stand until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Microwave the bowl with the gelatin in it until it dissolves, 1-2 minutes. Â Set aside.
- Place the cream and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Â Add the vanilla. Â Beat until soft peaks form – this will take a good 7 – 8 minutes. Â Stir in the gelatin and beat until firm peaks form.
- Spoon the filling over the chilled ganache in the pan. Â Smooth the top. Â Gently top with the second cake layer. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill until cream is set, at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Remove the sides from the springform pan.
- Rewarm the remaining ganache until it is just pourable (not too hot). Â Pour the ganache over the cake so that it drips down the sides. Chill until ganache is set, about 1 hour.
Serve and enjoy!
Larry
A PRINTABLE recipe would have been nice.
Peter Block
Larry, I updated the recipe and here is the link to a more recent post with a printable recipe. I hope this helps. http://www.feedyoursoul2.com/2014/10/ding-dong-cake-2.html
Jen @ Yummy Healthy Easy
This is too amazing! I love Ding Dongs – I bet this cake is as tasty as it is beautiful! Thanks for sharing at Saturday Night Fever link party – pinning now!
Colleen, The Smart Cookie Cook
Who didn’t love those tasty snack cakes? Heck, I still do! This is like a ding dong snack cake on steroids, and I’m loving it!
Chef Peter Block
Colleen, you are too young to remember the ding dong! LOL
Betsy @ Desserts Required
You had me at ‘Ding Dong’!! That, and the VERY tempting pictures!! Love this one.
Chef Peter Block
Betsy, thank you. I had myself at Ding Dong!
SImi
Peter, this looks so delicious and moist that I am craving for it, maybe you can mail me a slice 🙂
Chef Peter Block
I saved you a piece Simi. Just bring a fork.