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Ding Dong Cake takes everything you loved about the foil-wrapped Hostess snack and turns it into a rich 9×13 cake with fluffy cream filling and a glossy chocolate ganache on top. I made it for a summer party and watched grown adults go back for thirds, no lie. If you love a nostalgic chocolate dessert, it is a cousin to our chocolate fudge bumpy cake.
A moist, from-scratch chocolate cake layered with a whipped vanilla cream filling and topped with smooth chocolate ganache gives you that classic ding dong flavor in an easy sheet cake.
Ding Dong Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 30 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 35 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 65 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 15 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 752kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Rich chocolate cake, fluffy cream filling, and glossy chocolate ganache
- ✋ Difficulty: Moderate, a fun layered cake like our bumpy cake
Quick Answer
To make ding dong cake, melt chocolate into hot milk, whisk in sour cream, and combine with a brown sugar chocolate batter. Bake the cake in a 9×13 pan and cool completely. Make the fluffy filling by cooking a milk and flour paste, then whipping it with butter, shortening, and powdered sugar. Spread the filling over the cake, pour chocolate ganache on top, and chill until set before slicing.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Tastes like the real thing. The chocolate cake, cream filling, and ganache layers recreate the classic Hostess ding dong flavor from scratch.
- Cooked flour filling. The cooked milk and flour paste, called ermine frosting, makes a filling that is fluffy and light, not too sweet.
- Sour cream cake. Sour cream and melted chocolate keep the cake moist and give it a deep, rich chocolate flavor.
- Easy sheet cake form. Baking it in a 9×13 pan means no layering or stacking, just spread and pour.
- Glossy ganache top. A simple two-ingredient chocolate ganache sets into a smooth, shiny topping.
- Make it ahead. The cake needs to chill to set, so it is a perfect make-ahead dessert for parties.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It recreates the nostalgic Hostess ding dong as a rich, shareable sheet cake.
- It has three dreamy layers of chocolate cake, fluffy cream filling, and ganache, like our bumpy cake.
- It is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that feeds 15 and can be made ahead for parties.
Key Ingredients
Here is what you need for ding dong cake. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.
- Chocolate chips and cocoa: Melted chocolate plus cocoa powder give the cake and ganache their rich chocolate flavor.
- Sour cream: Keeps the chocolate cake moist and tender with a subtle tang.
- Cake flour: Gives the cake a soft, fine crumb. It makes a noticeable difference in texture.
- Butter and shortening: Whipped together for the light, fluffy cream filling that holds its shape.
- Heavy cream: Combined with chocolate chips to make the glossy ganache topping.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This ding dong cake is easy to make your own. Here are a few ideas.
- Use a boxed mix: Short on time? Bake a boxed chocolate cake and add the homemade filling and ganache.
- Add a filling layer: Pipe extra filling for thicker cream, just like the real ding dong center.
- Make cupcakes: Bake the batter as cupcakes, fill them, and dip the tops in ganache.
- Add espresso: A teaspoon of espresso powder in the cake deepens the chocolate flavor.
- Top with sprinkles: Add a swirl on top like the iconic ding dong, or finish like our German chocolate cake.
How to Make Ding Dong Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 pan. Pour hot milk over chocolate chips, let sit 5 minutes, whisk smooth, then whisk in the sour cream and set aside.
- Stir together the cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar and oil, add the vanilla and eggs one at a time, then alternate adding the dry mix and the chocolate sour cream mixture until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.
- For the filling, cook the milk and flour into a paste and cool it. Whip the butter and shortening, beat in the powdered sugar, then add the cooled paste and vanilla and whip 3 minutes until fluffy. Spread over the cooled cake and chill.
- For the ganache, pour hot heavy cream over chocolate chips, wait 5 minutes, then whisk smooth. Let it stand 10 minutes to cool slightly.
- Pour the ganache over the filling and spread to the edges. Chill the cake uncovered for 45 minutes to set, then slice and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cool the cake completely. Spreading filling on a warm cake will melt it, so be patient.
- Cook the flour paste fully. Whisk constantly until it is a thick paste so the filling is not grainy.
- Cool the paste before whipping. Adding warm paste to the butter mixture will make the filling soupy.
- Watch the milk and cream temperature. Heat to 180 to 190 degrees so the chocolate melts smoothly without scorching.
- Chill before slicing. Letting the ganache set in the fridge gives you clean, neat slices.
- Use cake flour. It gives the softest crumb, just like in our German chocolate cake.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Ding dong cake is rich, so cut it into smaller squares for a party. Serve it chilled straight from the fridge for firm, clean slices, or let it sit a few minutes for a softer bite.
It is perfect for birthdays and potlucks alongside our chocolate fudge bumpy cake and a scoop of fried ice cream.
For another nostalgic chocolate dessert, try our German chocolate cake next.
Ding Dong Cake FAQs
Ding dong cake is a homemade version of the classic Hostess Ding Dong snack cake, made as a 9×13 sheet cake. It has a moist chocolate cake base, a fluffy whipped cream filling, and a smooth chocolate ganache topping, capturing all the nostalgic flavor in an easy-to-share form.
The filling is an ermine frosting, made by cooking milk and flour into a paste, cooling it, then whipping it with butter, shortening, and powdered sugar. This gives a light, fluffy, not-too-sweet cream that tastes just like the center of a ding dong.
Yes. To save time, bake your favorite boxed chocolate cake in a 9×13 pan and use it as the base. The homemade cream filling and chocolate ganache are what make this cake special, and they work great over a boxed cake.
Because of the cream filling and ganache, store the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep it chilled until serving so the filling stays firm and the ganache stays set. It is delicious cold.
Yes. Freeze individual slices wrapped well for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before serving. The texture holds up nicely, making it easy to enjoy a slice anytime.
A runny filling usually means the cooked flour paste was still warm when added, or the butter was too soft. Make sure the paste is fully cooled to room temperature, use softened but not melted butter, and whip the filling until it is thick and fluffy.
Craving more chocolate cake? Try our chocolate fudge bumpy cake next.
Craving chocolate? Our oreo brownies are thick, fudgy, and packed with Oreos.
For an impressive dessert, do not miss our tiramisu cheesecake with a cocoa graham crust.
For another cozy sheet cake, try our sweet potato cake with maple frosting.
Ding Dong Cake
Ingredients
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cups cake flour
- 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
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the ganache topping:
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 12 ounces heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 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.
- In a 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 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. 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.
- 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. 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 fridge, uncovered, for 45 minutes to set. Slice and serve.
Notes
- You can use a boxed cake mix if you like, but I highly suggest using the homemade recipe provided.
- The flavors work really well together and the cream topping is the star of the show that balances everything out.
- If you do not want to make your own homemade ganache you can melt a container of chocolate frosting and pour over the top instead.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above.
- We like to use shortening in the topping recipe, butter can be used but will not give the same creamy consistency.
- This can be halved to make a smaller batch.
Nutrition
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