Homemade Ding Dong Cake
A nostalgic layer cake inspired by the classic snack cake, featuring moist chocolate cake, fluffy vanilla cream filling, and rich chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot coffee (or hot water)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow fluff
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup (optional, for shine)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, mixing until well combined.
- Stir in hot coffee (or hot water), mixing until smooth. The batter will be thin.
- Pour batter evenly between prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- For cream filling, beat butter until fluffy, then add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, mixing until smooth.
- Fold in marshmallow fluff until well combined.
- Once cakes are completely cool, level tops if needed. Place one layer on cake plate and spread cream filling evenly, leaving about 1/2 inch border.
- Place second cake layer on top, pressing gently to secure. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
- For chocolate ganache, heat heavy cream until just simmering. Pour over chocolate chips in a bowl and let stand for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth, then add corn syrup if using.
- Allow ganache to cool until slightly thickened but still pourable. Pour over chilled cake, using an offset spatula to guide it down the sides.
- Refrigerate finished cake for at least 1 hour before serving to set the ganache completely.
Notes
For the moistest cake, don't skip the hot coffee - it enhances the chocolate flavor and creates an incredibly tender crumb.
The cake layers can be baked up to two days ahead and wrapped well, or frozen for up to a month.
Because of the cream filling, store this cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
This recipe can be turned into about 24 cupcakes; bake for 18-20 minutes.