This high altitude Ding Dong cake is made with two layers of moist chocolate cake, sandwiched together with vanilla buttercream filling, and covered in semi sweet chocolate ganache. The cake resembles a giant version of a classic Hostess Ding Dong snack cake!
You might also love these high altitude recipes for chocolate hostess cupcakes, oatmeal cream pie cookie bars, and old fashioned iced oatmeal cookies.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Better than a Ding Dong. While my own kids haven’t grown up eating Hostess and Little Debbie snack cakes, and had no idea what a Ding Dong even was before I told them, I remember them fondly. But I’m guessing that if I were to eat one now, I’d realize that the cake is too dry and the cream filling too sweet. Today’s Ding Dong cake has all the flavors and textures of those little snack cakes, only so much better with moist chocolate cake, vanilla buttercream that isn’t tooth-achingly sweet, and rich ganache icing.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- High Altitude Chocolate Cake. My favorite chocolate cake recipe is so popular with high altitude bakers. It’s easy to make without a mixer, always moist and tender, with perfectly balanced flavors.
Cream Filling
- Butter + Shortening. By using a combination of butter and vegetable shortening, you’ll have a more stable filling, as well as a snowy white color, instead of the yellowish color that all-butter frosting would have.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the filling.
- Meringue Powder. Adds stability, although this is an optional ingredient.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
- Heavy Whipping Cream. This adds lightness to the cream filling.
Ganache
- Heavy Whipping Cream. The high fat content is needed for the correct texture in ganache. You won’t achieve the same result with a lower fat cream.
- Chocolate. Choose a semi sweet chocolate. I recommend chopping a bar of chocolate, rather than using chocolate chips, which don’t melt as smoothly.
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Spray the bottoms of two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray, or line the bottoms of the pans with circles of parchment paper.
- Make the chocolate cake batter as instructed. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
- Bake the cakes for about 28-35 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set the pans on a cooling rack, and let the cake cool completely before assembling.
- If making the cake in advance, cool the cakes in the pans for about an hour, until warm, then turn out of the pan and wrap the warm cake layers individually in two layers of plastic wrap. Keep at room temperature for up to 1 day in advance, or in the freezer for up to 3-6 months. Let frozen cakes thaw completely before assembling your cake.
Cream Filling
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening for 1 minute, until smooth.
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar by spoonfuls, and the meringue powder.
- Add the vanilla and the cold heavy whipping cream. Increase the speed to medium, and whip for 4-5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl and the paddle attachment several times, until very light and fluffy.
- Set one of the cooled cake layers on a cake pedestal or cake plate. Spread the cake evenly with the cream filling, all the way to the edge. Place the second layer of cake on top of the cream filling, and smooth out the sides of the filling.
Chocolate Ganache
- Pour the cream into a saucepan. Over medium heat, warm the cream just until hot, and beginning to simmer around the edges, but not boiling.
- Meanwhile, finely chop the chocolate, and scrape it into a bowl. When the cream is ready, pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let stand for 3 minutes, then stir with a spatula until smooth and creamy.
- Let the ganache cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before icing the cake. I like to make the ganache before I make the filling, so it can cool while I make the cream filling and stack my cake layers.
- After 30 minutes, the ganache should be slightly thicker, but still pourable. To ice the cake, start by pouring about half a cup of ganache on top of the cake, spreading it thinly over the top, and letting it run over the sides, so you can spread it thinly around the sides. Repeat this process until you’ve used up all the ganache and the cake is completely frosted with chocolate.
- The ganache will set and firm up within several minutes so you can serve the cake.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ganache icing will only be as sweet as the chocolate you use. I personally love dark, bitter chocolate, so I used chocolate bars with 70% cacao, but this is probably not sweet enough for most people’s taste. For a sweeter ganache, I recommend using semi sweet chocolate, which can range from 35-65% cacao. Anything above 80% will be extremely bitter. And if you simply don’t like ganache, which I know many people don’t, then honestly, this cake is just as good frosted with a thin layer of chocolate buttercream instead of ganache.
Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
You can replace the shortening with the same amount of butter, if preferred, but your cream filling/frosting won’t be as white. The shortening and heavy whipping cream also give the frosting a similar texture and flavor to the filling in Ding Dong snack cakes.
If you cut this recipe in half, you can bake the cake in two 6 or 7 inch cake pans.
You Might Also Like
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High Altitude Ding Dong Cake
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- 2 9 Inch Round Cake Pan
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 recipe High Altitude Chocolate Cake
Cream Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp meringue powder (optional)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup cold heavy whipping cream
Ganache
- 8 oz heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz semi sweet chocolate (see notes)
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Spray the bottoms of two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray, or line the bottoms of the pans with circles of parchment paper.
- Make the chocolate cake batter as instructed. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
- Bake the cakes for about 28-35 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set the pans on a cooling rack, and let the cake cool completely before assembling.
- If making the cake in advance, cool the cakes in the pans for about an hour, until warm, then turn out of the pan and wrap the warm cake layers individually in two layers of plastic wrap. Keep at room temperature for up to 1 day in advance, or in the freezer for up to 3-6 months. Let frozen cakes thaw completely before assembling your cake.
Cream Filling
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening for 1 minute, until smooth.
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar by spoonfuls, and the meringue powder.
- Add the vanilla and the cold heavy whipping cream. Increase the speed to medium, and whip for 4-5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl and the paddle attachment several times, until very light and fluffy.
- Set one of the cooled cake layers on a cake pedestal or cake plate. Spread the cake evenly with the cream filling, all the way to the edge. Place the second layer of cake on top of the cream filling, and smooth out the sides of the filling.
Chocolate Ganache
- Pour the cream into a saucepan. Over medium heat, warm the cream just until hot, and beginning to simmer around the edges, but not boiling.
- Meanwhile, finely chop the chocolate, and scrape it into a bowl. When the cream is ready, pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let stand for 3 minutes, then stir with a spatula until smooth and creamy.
- Let the ganache cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before icing the cake. I like to make the ganache before I make the filling, so it can cool while I make the cream filling and stack my cake layers.
- After 30 minutes, the ganache should be slightly thicker, but still pourable. To ice the cake, start by pouring about half a cup of ganache on top of the cake, spreading it thinly over the top, and letting it run over the sides, so you can spread it thinly around the sides. Repeat this process until you've used up all the ganache and the cake is completely frosted with chocolate.
- The ganache will set and firm up within several minutes so you can serve the cake.
Notes
- The ganache icing will only be as sweet as the chocolate you use. I love dark, bitter chocolate, so I used chocolate bars with 70% cacao, but this is probably not sweet enough for most people’s taste. For a sweeter ganache, I recommend using semi sweet chocolate, which can range from 35-65% cacao. Anything above 80% will be extremely bitter. And if you simply don’t like ganache, which I know many people don’t, then honestly, this cake is just as good frosted with a thin layer of chocolate buttercream instead of ganache.
- Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- You can replace the shortening with the same amount of butter, if preferred, but your cream filling/frosting won’t be as white. The shortening and heavy whipping cream also give the frosting a similar texture and flavor to the filling in Ding Dong snack cakes.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!