Making this Dong Dong Cake was a recreation of my favorite childhood treat! Rich chocolate cake, creamy filling and a heavenly chocolate coating on the outside.
Ding Dong Cake
What is a Ding Dong? It is a treat that we were often given as kids. Basically a chocolate whoopie pie with a glorious cream filling. I have modified it to be a cake and it’s heavenly!
This cake is one of those cakes that works perfectly as one. The ganache on its own is a bit bitter (when using semi-sweet chocolate), the filling is light and wonderful but does not stand alone like a pudding or sweet frosting, and the cake is just chocolate perfection. But these three elements work together in perfect harmony to create a cake that you will never forget.
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Ding Dong Cake Filling
Some of you experienced bakers recognized this filling immediately! It’s also known as an Ermine frosting. This frosting has a few extra steps compared to a traditional American buttercream, but the result is well worth it. Subtle and creamy, it is the PERFECT filling for this beyond rich cake.
This is a fantastic Ding Dong Cake and a lovely way to celebrate with friends and family!
- 1 3/4 c (210g) all-purpose flour
- 2 c (400g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 c (90g) good unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 c (240g) buttermilk room temperature
- 1/2 c (112g) vegetable oil
- 2 extra-large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp. McCormick pure vanilla extract
- 1 c 237g freshly brewed hot coffee (I use decaf)
- 5 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 c whole milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 c (226g) butter
- 1 c (225g) granulated sugar
- 16 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped fine (can use milk chocolate)
- 16 oz (2 cups) heavy cream room temperature
- Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and mix until combined.
- In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
In the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into two 8-inch round prepared pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350°F, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out mostly clean (not wet).
- Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
- Pour cold milk into a small saucepan. Before turning on the heat, whisk in flour so no lumps remain.
- Turn heat on to medium-low and heat until mixture is thick, like a roux, stirring the whole time.
- Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and let cool completely.
- Cream together butter and sugar on medium-high speed, until fluffy, about 8 minutes.
Add in the milk mixture and beat again until mixture resembles a whipped cream. Chill for at least 30 minutes before assembling cake.
Heat the heavy cream in a quart-sized, microwavable container and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes on high, or until it just begins to simmer. Be careful not to allow the cream to boil over. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and let stand for at least 2 minutes so that it can thicken.
When ready to pour over chilled cake, whisk the ganache until smooth and then pour. You may have some ganache left over.
The chocolate cake in this recipe is my Perfect Chocolate Cake. The batter is very runny and it is designed to be made in two 8-inch round cake pans. A few of you have commented that when you made this Ding Dong Cake the batter spilled over, and I have never been able to replicate that in my kitchen. If you prefer you can use 9-inch round cake pans but the layers will not be as thick as you see in my pictures.
I just want you to know that I absolutely read comments and try to address all concerns! The majority has had no issues with the recipe and therefore I am not making any changes to it at this time.
The Ganache was VERY runny and it ended up all over everything. I had a big mess because there was too much for the size of he cake. Any suggestions.I had to use plain Whipping Cream instead of heavy cream because that’s all I could get. Would that make a difference?
Ow do u put together do u wait until the cream onside sets or do u put in fridge after u put choc on top ?
For 25 years my husband has talked about his great grandmother making the best Applestack cake. Ive tried it once and it was a horrible mess. I guess moma Gee rf over in het grave. Can you help. Your cakes are beautiful and delicious i just wish i had the talent of a baker.
Please specify your version on “prepared pans”. Just grease or grease and flour?
I followed the recipe exactly. Everything worked well until the ganache. If you’ve never made a ganache before then I would suggest doing some research before making it.
The key to the other steps is letting everything cool completely before assembling. Also, use butter to grease your pans.
Right now, we’ll be judging on taste and not on presentation. I still have high hopes!
After I assembled the cake with the white filling and poured the ganache over it, the cake started falling apart. Cream was oozing outbofbthe cake and the layers were sliding. Is there a trick to assembly like refrigerating some parts until solid before continuing?
I am making this cake today for my grandson’s birthday…his request when he saw FB post. I used 9″ pans bc that is what I had on hand..the layers came out perfect.I baked them for approx. 23 min. at 325° because they were dark pans. The filling is perfect! I suggest cooking until your flour mixture resembles “runny” mashed potatoes.I will post pictures when I finish putting cake together. Thank you so much for awesome recipe!
She explained at the end this cake is the one from the link which then provides another link to the goop she uses to prepare her pand. Hope that helps some people.
Does the cake need to be refrigerated due to the creme filling? I’m not a chocolate frosting or ganache lover and thought I could double up on the filling and use part for frosting. Would that work? Would it need to be refrigerated?
Question?
My mom had a recipe for a whipped frosting…it was so good. I had the recipe and lost it. My mom has passed and now so has the recipe. I remember my hasband called it lard frosting but loved it because it was so light and not overly sweet. I remember it called for Crisco sugar vanilla and you had to beat it for 15 minutes OH and you had to use a plastic bowl I think do you have a recipe like this?
I made this cake for my husband on Father’s Day. Everything was going perfect until the filling which was so runny. What did I do wrong? What can I do next time so it will be better?
I love it
My filling turned out a little grainy. Any suggestions?
Turned out perfect!
For those that had runny filling, roux that is made correctly is very thick almost like chou paste for eclairs or cream puffs. I would refrigerate the cake layers before adding the cooled filling, then refrigerate the cake while making the ganache. Once the ganache is cooled to about blood temperature, thick but very spreadable. Pull your cake and pour the ganache in a puddle on the top. Using a frosting spatula gently ease it to the edges and down the side. You want the ganache to be about the consistency of jello pudding. Hope this helps.
Can you taste the coffee in the ding dong cake? I’m not a fan of coffee, can I substitute wate?
I can’t stand the taste of coffee in anything. Can the coffee be substituted with something?
You can use hot water.
When making the center frosting, the ermine frosting, you have to beat the sugar and butter together until you feel no sugar granules. Whether you rub it between your fingers or between your tongue and roof of your mouth. This was always my moms (she would be 90 now) go to frosting. She taught me this when I was six (I’m in my 60s now) BEAT THE BUTTER AND SUGAR UNTIL NO GRANULES ARE FELT.. then add the flour and whip it up. You’ll have a wonderful old fashioned icing befitting your grandmas cake recipe.
I love
Lovely how can I purchased the book