Ding Dong Cake
This Ding Dong Cake will take you back to your childhood! A classic chocolate and cream treat turned into a single layer cake. Fun and delicious!
A CHOCOLATE TREAT TURNED INTO A CAKE
If you are a fan of Hostess Ding Dong snack cakes then you will absolutely adore this cake! This is a homemade chocolate cake with a creamy sweet layer and covered with a chocolate ganache. You absolutely are in heaven with each and every bite of this recipe. Everything works so well together and really tastes like the real deal (but even better!) So if you are craving a unique but guaranteed amazing dessert, then you must make this Ding Dong Cake recipe.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
This cake is out-of-this world delicious, rich chocolate cake topped with super light and fluffy cream, and topped with a rich addictive ganache. You can’t get much better than this! The cream filling is the star of this cake. It is so light, fluffy, and smooth. I highly recommend using the shortening as it helps the cream stay very fluffy. You can use all butter if you want but it may not come out as light.
While this really makes the cake, you can also use a can of chocolate frosting and remove the lid and foil and heat up in the microwave and pour over the cake itself. I do this for my Boston Cream Poke Cake and it still tastes great!
Of course! If you do not want to go through all the trouble of making your own homemade cake you can absolutely use a mix. I really like the Duncan Hines dark chocolate fudge but you can use any chocolate flavor that you like.
You will want to refrigerate the cake for about 45 minutes for the topping to get harder and the filling to thicken slightly more.
While I think the cake flour keeps this cake light and fluffy, you could certainly substitute with all-purpose flour. Just make sure to sift or whisk the all-purpose flour well before using.
This can be stored covered in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 6 days. If you want to freeze it, cut it into slices and then freeze the slices individually. Wrap in plastic wrap then freezer-safe foil. This should keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. To defrost, remove to refrigerator overnight then you can place on countertop to bring slightly to room temperature.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
HOW TO MAKE A DING DONG CAKE:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with baking spray, set aside. Place the chocolate chips in a medium-sized bowl. Warm the milk in the microwave until it reaches 180-190°F, watch it carefully. Pour hot milk over the chocolate chips and let it sit for 5 minutes. Whisk until combined. Add the sour cream and whisk until smooth, set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a separate large bowl with an electric hand mixer, mix the brown sugar with the oil until combined. Add the vanilla and eggs one at a time until incorporated.
Add half of the dry flour mixture, mix to combine. Next, add half of the chocolate/sour cream mixture, mix to combine. Repeat with the remaining dry and wet ingredients until it’s all combined.
Pour cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake on the middle rack for about 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely. While the cake is cooling, make the filling.
Add the milk and flour to a small saucepan, whisk to combine. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly until thickened to a paste. Let this mixture cool to room temperature. Add the butter and shortening to a large bowl, whip with an electric hand mixer until combined.
Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully mixed in, the mixture will be thick. Lastly, add the cooled milk/flour paste and vanilla to the bowl.
Stir it in until incorporated and then whip it for 3 minutes on medium-high speed until it resembles a whipped cream-like consistency. Smooth this over the cooled cake. Place the cake into the fridge while you assemble the ganache topping.
Place the chocolate chips into a medium-sized bowl or measuring cup. Warm the heavy cream in the microwave until it reaches 180-190°F, watch it carefully. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips. Wait 5 minutes and whisk until smooth. Let this mixture stand for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Pour the ganache over the top of the cake, there may be a little bit leftover depending on how deep your pan is. Place the cake back into the refrigerator, uncovered, for 45 minutes to set. Slice and serve.
Enjoy!
WANT MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES?
- No-Bake Twinkie Cake
- Swiss Roll Cake
- Suzy-Q Brownies
- Twinkie Poke Cake
- Easy Homemade Chocolate Cake
- Homemade Cinnamon Roll Cake
- Sock It To Me Cake
- Italian Cream Cake
- Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Southern Caramel Cake
Originally published: March 2022
Republished: September 2025
Ding Dong Cake (Single Layer)
Ingredients
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (measured by weight not volume, about 3/4 cup)
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cups cake flour (see notes below)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
For the filling:
- 1 cup whole milk
- 5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the ganache topping:
- 12 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with baking spray, set aside.
- Place 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips in a medium-sized bowl. Warm ½ cup whole milk in the microwave until it reaches 180-190°F, watch it carefully. Pour hot milk over the chocolate chips and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Whisk until combined.
- Add ¾ cup sour cream and whisk until smooth, set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together 1 ½ cups cake flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, with an electric hand mixer, mix 1 ½ cup light brown sugar, packed with ½ cup vegetable oil until combined.
- Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 3 large eggs (one at a time) until incorporated.
- Add half of the dry mixture, mix to combine.
- Add half of the chocolate/sour cream mixture, mix to combine. Repeat with the remaining dry and wet ingredients.
- Pour cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, make the filling.
For the filling:
- Add 1 cup whole milk and 5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour to a small saucepan, whisk to combine. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly until thickened to a paste. Let this mixture cool to room temperature.
- Add ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and ½ cup vegetable shortening to a large bowl, whip with an electric hand mixer until combined.
- Add 4 cups powdered sugar a little at a time until fully mixed in, the mixture will be thick.
- Add the cooled milk/flour paste and vanilla to the bowl. Add in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir it in until incorporated and then whip it for 3 minutes on medium-high speed until it resembles a whipped cream-like consistency.
- Smooth this over the cooled cake. Place the cake into the fridge while you assemble the ganache topping.
For the ganache topping:
- Place 12 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips into a medium-sized bowl. Warm 1 1/2 cups heavy cream in the microwave until it reaches 180-190°F, watch it carefully. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips. Wait 5 minutes and whisk until smooth then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Let this mixture stand for 10 minutes to cool slightly.
- Pour the ganache over the top of the cake, there may be a little bit leftover depending on how deep your pan is.
- Place the cake back into the fridge, uncovered, for 45 minutes to set. Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- You can use a boxed cake mix, we like Dark Chocolate Fudge but you can use any that you like.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above.
- You will want to chill this cake for 45 minutes after applying the ganache to set up.
- Cake flour is going to give you a lighter fluffier cake. You can use all purpose flour but I would encourage you to sift it.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
One of the best cakes I have ever made and I am not kidding! I am usually not good at any kind off homemade cake and my family can be very picky about desserts. I made this for a church bake-off and I took home first place! They couldn’t get enough and everyone loved how it was a take on the classic Ding Dongs. So I share the blue ribbon with you. Thank you Brandie!
Oh my goodness!! Wow! It won a prize – I am so thrilled! You are so sweet Susan and it means a lot that you took the time to come back and let me know. Woo hoo!!
I am the boxed cake mix queen. I love them and use them all the time but I gave this homemade version a whirl and let me tell you, it knocked our socks off it was so good!! So incredibly moist and the homemade flavor can’t be beat. The creamy filling and chocolate ganache just take it over the top. Better than any Ding Dong and SO good!!
Yay! Thanks so much for giving it a try Sheila! I appreciate you trusting the recipe and then coming back to let me know how much you enjoyed it. It’s definitely one of my favorites!
This was absolutely delicious! This homemade cake turned out incredibly moist and held up really well to the toppings! It was a huge hit and everyone asked for the recipe. Will definitely be making it again and again!
Thanks so very much Colleen!! I love hearing that and I appreciate you coming back to comment!