Ding Dong Cake – Sugar Spun Run

Ding Dong cake is sort of a big model of the traditional snack cake! It’s made with wealthy chocolate cake layered with a creamy snow-white filling and a chocolate ganache topping, and it’s prone to be your new favourite cake! It’s extremely satisfying with out being too candy! Recipe features a how-to video tutorial.

A Childhood Deal with, Reimagined

Enable me to introduce you to the cake that I’ll be utilizing for all birthdays within the foreseeable future (together with my very own): Ding Dong cake! Impressed by the beloved childhood deal with, the cake is completely chocolatey and paired with probably the most luxurious cream filling. It’s enjoyable, the textures are wonderful, and it’s simply so satisfying.

And sure, it has a brilliant foolish identify, however let’s simply look previous that as a result of this cake actually is a star 😉

The three components of this Ding Dong cake:

• Chocolate cake base that’s gentle, chocolatey, and melts in your mouth. It additionally holds up properly to refrigeration, which is necessary since this cake ought to be refrigerated.
• Silky easy filling produced from quaint ermine frosting. That is not too candy and completely emulates the filling in Ding Dongs! Not like conventional buttercream frosting, ermine frosting really begins on the stovetop with granulated (not powdered!) sugar. It may be bit difficult to make, so take a look at my troubleshooting part earlier than beginning to keep away from any points.
• Fudgy chocolate ganache frosting which, once more, completely emulates a Ding Dong.

As a result of ermine frosting could be a bit finicky and the chocolate ganache could be a little difficult to gauge, I wouldn’t essentially name this Ding Dong cake an “straightforward” recipe to make. Nevertheless, it’s additionally not a troublesome recipe both, so I’d say it’s intermediate. Actually although, I believe anybody might make this cake in the event that they comply with the directions carefully. 

Personally, that is one in all my favourite truffles (it’s proper up there with carrot cake!), and I can’t wait so that you can strive it! Let’s dig in!

What You Want

For the Cake

Let’s first go over the important thing elements within the cake layers for this Ding Dong cake. Then I’ll spotlight a number of elements for the filling and frosting.

• Buttermilk. Buttermilk makes this cake is extremely moist, gentle, and flavorful. For those who don’t have the actual stuff available, my straightforward buttermilk substitute will work–however I extremely suggest getting the actual factor for those who can.
• Sizzling espresso. The reasoning behind including sizzling espresso is twofold; first, including a sizzling liquid will assist “bloom” the cocoa powder and intensify its taste. Second, including espresso particularly may even up the chocolate taste (with out making the Ding Dong cake really style like espresso!). For those who don’t have any espresso available although, extremely popular water will work. I maintain on the spot espresso available particularly for utilizing in my truffles.
• Cocoa powder. It’s necessary that you just use pure cocoa powder since we’re solely utilizing baking soda on this recipe. Dutch course of cocoa might trigger rising points. For those who’d prefer to be taught extra about this distinction, learn my publish on pure vs. Dutch course of cocoa.
• Sugar. I like to make use of each granulated and lightweight brown sugar in my chocolate cake; this not solely provides depth of taste, but it surely additionally makes the cake extremely moist too!
• Egg + egg yolk. Including an additional egg yolk to the batter makes this cake supremely tender and melt-in-your-mouth. For those who don’t wish to throw away the egg white, reserve it for meringue cookies or candied pecans.

For the Filling & Topping

• Granulated sugar. Utilizing only one cup of granulated sugar as an alternative of a number of cups of powdered sugar means this ermine frosting is much much less candy than your traditional buttercream frosting. It additionally means the frosting have to be cooked on the range to dissolve the sugar–extra on this under!
• Flour. This may appear to be a wierd ingredient for a frosting, however flour is a traditional ermine frosting ingredient. It thickens the filling base right into a pudding-like consistency, which we’ll let cool after which whip into butter.
• Butter. It’s essential that your butter is softened to room temperature (however not melty) earlier than combining it together with your cooked filling base. If it’s not, your filling might curdle OR prove too runny. I take advantage of unsalted butter.
• Vanilla. I really favor to make use of clear synthetic vanilla extract for the filling to imitate the brilliant white shade and synthetic taste of the filling in actual Ding Dongs. Be happy to make use of common vanilla extract although!
• Chocolate. Use semi-sweet chocolate, both from a chopped baking bar, couverture chocolate, or chocolate chips. Personally, I are inclined to keep away from making ganache with chocolate chips, however they’ll nonetheless work.

SAM’S TIP: Be sure that to whisk your flour properly (or sift it, after measuring) earlier than including the milk; in any other case, you possibly can find yourself with a lumpy filling.

Bear in mind, that is simply an outline of the elements I used and why. For the total recipe please scroll all the way down to the underside of the publish!

The best way to Make Ding Dong Cake

Make the Filling Base

For those who’ve ever made my whoopie pies or frosted a purple velvet cake, you’ve seemingly made this old school frosting earlier than. It seems a bit completely different from a few of the frostings I’ve shared previously and is barely extra sophisticated, but it surely isn’t troublesome and is value the additional effort. Earlier than you may whip this into what actually resembles a frosting, we begin with a easy roux as the bottom:

1. Whisk collectively the flour, salt, and sugar in a saucepan, then regularly pour within the milk whereas nonetheless whisking. Whisk till easy, then place over medium warmth.
2. Prepare dinner over medium warmth, whisking consistently, till the combination reaches a thick, pudding-like consistency. Pour the pudding right into a heatproof container, press a bit of wax paper in opposition to the floor, and let cool fully.

Make the Cake Layers

1. Whisk the dry elements and sugars collectively in a big bowl.
2. Stir within the melted butter and oil till all the pieces is mixed–the combination will probably be thick.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla, then stir properly till the batter is uniform and properly mixed (scrape the perimeters and backside of the bowl now too!).
4. Drizzle within the buttermilk and stir properly to mix.
5. Step by step and thoroughly add the new espresso, then stir till you’ve a uniform batter. Scrape the perimeters and backside of the bowl once more as properly.
6. Portion the batter into two lined/greased/floured 8″ cake pans and bake till a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out clear or with a number of moist crumbs (preferable!). Let the truffles cool of their pans for Quarter-hour earlier than inverting onto a cooling rack to chill fully.

Make the Filling

Solely begin this step as soon as your filling base has cooled fully! Don’t rush this course of, or you’ll find yourself with a greasy, runny filling.

1. Beat the butter with an electrical mixer on excessive pace till it’s mild and fluffy, then cut back the mixer pace to medium.
2. Add the cooled filling base one heaping spoonful at a time, ready till every addition is absolutely included earlier than including the subsequent. Don’t add it too quick or or the frosting will curdle.
3. Scrape the perimeters and backside of the bowl, then add the vanilla extract. Set the mixer to medium excessive and whip the frosting till easy. Use a spatula to work out any air bubbles.
4. Place the filling within the fridge to relax for 10-20 minutes when you put together the ganache. Don’t chill the filling too lengthy, although, or it’s going to develop into too agency and troublesome to unfold.

Make the Ganache Frosting

1. Microwave the heavy cream and chocolate for 25 seconds, stir properly, then microwave once more.
2. Whisk till fully easy, then put aside till it reaches a spreadable consistency.

Meeting

1. Stage your truffles then place the primary cake layer on a cake plate. I embrace a hyperlink to my cake leveler within the “gear” part of the recipe card (it’s very cheap and was a worthwhile buy, I present how I take advantage of it in my “ enhance a cake” tutorial!), however in case you have a gentle hand you need to use a pointy serrated knife, as an alternative.
2. Add the entire filling and easy the highest with an offset spatula or knife. It’s loads of filling and can spill out the perimeters some! Make the filling as degree as you may (some will nonetheless squish out, that is advantageous!).
3. Place the second cake layer on prime and use an offset spatula to easy the perimeters, utilizing any frosting that’s squished out to make a naked-cake layer coating across the outdoors of the cake. Place the cake within the freezer for 10-Quarter-hour.
4. Unfold the cooled chocolate ganache over the perimeters and prime of the cake and easy with a spatula. Let the cake sit within the fridge for at the very least Quarter-hour for the ganache to set earlier than slicing and serving. Longer is healthier, the cake will develop into sturdier the longer it sits within the fridge.

SAM’S TIP: Leveling your truffles is at all times a good suggestion, but it surely’s particularly necessary with such a gentle frosting/filling because the ermine frosting we’re utilizing for this Ding Dong cake. If the truffles are too domed, they’re prone to slide off each other!

Troubleshooting: Ermine Frosting

Ermine frosting will not be a very sophisticated frosting, however it may be a bit fussy and curdle (however don’t fear, it may be fastened). Listed below are my ideas for excellent ermine frosting:

• Have endurance. Don’t attempt to rush the cooking course of for the roux. Equally, don’t rush the cooling course of both…extra on this subsequent.
• Cool the roux. For those who combine the roux and the butter whereas the roux remains to be heat, it’s going to create a greasy mess. Let it cool fully to keep away from this challenge.
• Beware the butter. Soften the butter, however don’t let it get so gentle that it’s melty or oily. Whether it is, your frosting will probably be far too runny. However, if the butter is simply too cool, your frosting might cut up. Ideally, each the butter and the roux ought to be the identical temperature (close to room temperature).

An important factor you are able to do is to be sure that the butter and roux/base are the identical temperature earlier than combining! In any other case, your frosting will probably be liable to curdling.

In case your comply with these guidelines and nonetheless run into points, strive these fixes:

• For frosting that appears too gentle, strive letting it sit within the fridge for 20-Half-hour.
• For frosting that has curdled, merely maintain whipping till it comes collectively. If it seems prefer it’s simply getting worse, place the bowl within the fridge for about 20 minutes, then strive once more. More often than not, this does the trick!

Incessantly Requested Questions

For those who’re in search of extra distinctive birthday truffles, strive my pistachio cake or snickerdoodle cake subsequent!

Take pleasure in!

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