Ding Dong Cake is a decadent treat that is a recreation of the classic Ding Dong, a chocolate whoopie pie with a creamy filling. My cake version combines rich chocolate cake, a light and creamy filling, and a heavenly chocolate ganache to create a dessert that will leave you wanting more. Perfect for chocolate lovers and cake enthusiasts, this recipe is sure to be a hit. You will also love my Ding Dong Sheet Cake! Make sure to try my 50 Best Cake Recipes for even more dessert inspiration!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Cake: 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 by 3-inch round cake pans. You could also use a boxed chocolate cake mix.
Coffee: Adding brewed hot coffee to the cake batter enhances the chocolate flavor of the cake. The cake will not have a coffee taste. If you don’t have coffee, you can substitute it with hot water.
Filling: The creamy filling is known as an Ermine frosting (also known as Roux frosting or boiled milk 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.
Ganache: To make the chocolate ganache, you can use either semi-sweet or milk chocolate. If you don’t have a chocolate bar, chocolate chips can be used as a substitute. I also have a Chocolate Ganache Made with Butter recipe you could use.
How to Store Ding Dong Cake
First, place the cake in an airtight container to prevent air exposure and keep it fresh. This will help the cake last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Before serving, let the cake come to room temperature for the best flavor and texture.
Can I Freeze Ding Dong Cake?
Yes, you can freeze Ding Dong Cake. To freeze the cake, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in a freezer-safe container. (I prefer to cut and wrap the cake into individual pieces before freezing.) The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat the cake, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours or on the counter for a couple of hours, then bring it to room temperature before serving. Freezing the cake may affect the texture and taste, so it’s best to eat it as soon as possible for the best experience.
More Chocolate Cakes
Ding Dong Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 ¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (90 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ cup (112 g) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons McCormick pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (237 g) freshly brewed hot coffee
Filling (Ermine Frosting)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) butter
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla
Ganache
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 12 ounces heavy cream, room temperature
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 2, 8-inch x 3-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. (8-inch cake pans with shorter sides may cause an overflow in your oven.) Set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With the 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 the prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out mostly clean with no wet batter.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes. Then, turn them out onto a cooling rack to let them cool completely.
Filling
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk and flour. Cook, whisking constantly, for 3-5 minutes, or until no lumps remain and the mixture thickens and resembles a very thick pudding. It should coat the back of a spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the cooled milk mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy (2-3 minutes), pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Switch to the whisk attachment. Add vanilla and mix on high for 7-8 minutes, or until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
Ganache
- Place the chocolate into a heat-safe bowl. Set the bowl aside as you heat up the cream.
- To a quart-sized, microwave-safe bowl, add the heavy cream. Microwave for 3-4 minutes on high, or until it just begins to simmer, being 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 the cooled cake, whisk the ganache until smooth and then pour. You may have some ganache left over.
Assembly
- If needed, level the cakes. Then, place one cake round onto your work surface.
- Spread the filling over the cake. Top with the second cake round.
- Pour the ganache over the cake, including the sides. Let it set for a few minutes before cutting and serving.
Did you make this recipe?
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I made this cake and the filling and that turned out fine. But the ganach was so runny that it didn’t stay on the cake at all. I followed your directions & it was so runny it didn’t work at all.
Julie,
this recipe for ganache is a very “fluid” ganache. To tighten it up a bit, add more chocolate. For a thicker ganache I use a ratio of 2# chocolate to 1 C heavy Cream. This might be too thick for this so I would just increase your chocolate by 8 oz. on the original recipe.
Opps…Julie, I meant to say 2# chocolate to 2C heavy cream. But 24oz (1 1/2# chocolate to 2 C heavy cream might be perfect for you. That’s what I’m going to try today.
Sorry yours didn’t work at first. Try refrigerating the cake for 2 hours before putting on the ganache. Also let them ganache cool until it is thicker than pancake batter. It should work well.
I have a question. I hate the taste of anything coffee. What can I use as a substitute in recipes?
Water
Bourbon
Does anyone know if you can just use chocolate chips for the frosting with the heavy cream? Would you still need to chop them first ?
yes you can just use chips with out chopping them up.
The best recipe I found for ganache is simple to remember. For every cup of semi sweet chocolate chips (or any type of chips) use one half cup of heavy cream.
h, I’m going to make this cake in a couple of days. The comments on the original page ( chocolatechocolateandmore.com) talk about the batter being to much for 2 8 inch pans. I’m planning on using three pans. But want to know if y’all think I’ll have enough filling for both layers? The post on the other page in few a few years ago, so I wasn’t sure my question would be answered there.
My recipe is perfect for two 8-inch round cake pans. If you were to divide it into they would be very thin cake layers. There is enough filling for that, just spread it thinner.
I used 9 inch pans and they were perfect!
U mean one cake cut into two halves or two separate cakes…? And the filing in between??
This batter makes one cake or two cakes ?
Divide the batter into 2 cake pans to get 2 separate cakes.
could instant coffee be used in this cake instead of brewed?
I did – it was fine. I also snuck in an ounce of Starbucks Liquor ????
It seems my filling is super funny how can I fix it ???
Sue – runny filling likely means you didn’t cook the flour and milk mixture long enough. The flour won’t reach its full thickening power until boiling (too hot for this recipe). So whisk until it reaches the consistency of soft-serve ice cream, a very thick white sauce is what you are looking for.
Mine too, was way to runny despite the fact that the flour mixture WAS very thick like soft-serve. What did I do wrong? Slid right off the layers.Perhaps there is there a trick to blending the sugar that I missed?
I just made this Ding Dong cake. No where could I find the pan size so I used two 9 inch round pans. They overflowed in the oven creating a mess! Anyone else know the correct pan size?
I used 10″ pans and they worked fine.
Hey can u tell me if this cake is suitable for covering with fondant?
Just made this cake. Used larger pans and reduced cooking time. Everything came out perfectly. It’s chilling in the fridge and has set just like it should. Just follow the directions (although I had to guess at a few things) and you should be fine.
I made this cake once and it turned out fantastic! Perhaps, as the comments said (above), this was meant to be for 2 9 inch pains. I’m not sure what I have, but I’m glad I didn’t have the spillover, as others did. I’m making it again this weekend for a family gathering. I will pay closer attention to the pans I use and post again. I used semi-sweet, and it was delicious. The filling is not too sweet either, so it’s probably more liked by adults than kids. I’ll let you know! Last time I made it, it was good for 4 kids and 8 adults and we all loved it. Not one piece left! Yes, I refrigerated it also, so the ganache didn’t get too soft.