Ding Dong Cake – Recipe!

We have had a month of celebrations in our household with both mine and my husband’s birthdays this month, along with an anniversary, and Valentine’s Day.  Cake always seems to be at the center of each special day, so I thought it would be a great idea to share with you the cake recipe that really put a smile on our faces this month – Ding Dong Cake.

Ding Dong Cake is just that, it tastes like a homemade Ding Dong.  When we were kids, we would plead with mom for those cream filled Hostess treats covered in chocolate.  Most of the time, she wouldn’t indulge us, but would go home and bake something from scratch instead.  So this cake is for those who loved that super moist chocolate cake with whipped cream filling, and chocolate ganache icing on top.  Trust me, the homemade version is much better than any of the store-bought treats because it’s fresh, and loaded with the right balance of chocolaty goodness.

You may think this cake is a lot of work to make, but it’s actually easier than a traditional layer cake because you don’t make a buttercream frosting. Ganache, or icing is melted in the microwave and stirred until smooth, and with a simple pour, covers the cake layers.  You can always fill-in any bare patches with a little Ganache using a knife, or leave it just the way it falls.

This cake is one of the tastiest desserts you can make for any occasion, and it will last in the refrigerator several days.  Each bite of cake brings a little chocolate and whipped cream, and most definitely nostalgia will begin to set in.

Ingredients

Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cups dark cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoons espresso powder

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Whipped Cream Filling

1/4 teaspoon powdered gelatin

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

Ganache

2 1/2 cups chopped dark chocolate

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

white Dragees, optional

(Makes 9-inch Cake)

To Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line bottom of cake pans with parchment and spray with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso.  Make a well in center of dry mixture, add buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla and whisk together.  Slowly, add boiling water and whisk until smooth.
3. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 28-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes clean.  Remove from oven and cool in pans for 30 minutes.  Loosen cakes around edges with knife and invert onto wire rack to cool for at least 1 hour.  Cakes can be refrigerated and baked one day ahead.
4. While cakes are cooling, add gelatin to a small bowl and top with 1 tablespoon of cool water.  Allow gelatin to bloom or solidify in bowl.  Place small bowl of gelatin inside large bowl of warm water and stir until gelatin melts.  Whisk heavy cream in a stand mixer or large bowl until soft peaks, then add gelatin and sugar.  Continue to whisk until firm peaks.  Place in refrigerator until ready to assemble cake.
5. In a microwave safe bowl, add all Ganache ingredients and microwave for 1 minute.  Remove and stir.  Microwave again for another minute, remove and stir until creamy and chocolate is completely melted.
6. To assemble cake – place one layer of cake on a wire rack and spoon all of Whipped Cream Filling on top.  Place second layer of cake on top.  Pour Ganache over top of layer cake, trying to completely cover top and edges.  Use a table knife to cover any patches.  Sprinkle with white Dragees or balls, if desired.  Gently move cake with spatulas to cake stand or platter, refrigerate until ready to serve.  Enjoy!