Hostess Sheet Cake is our favourite throwback dessert—wealthy satan’s meals cake layered with fluffy marshmallow filling and topped with clean chocolate ganache. It’s the snack cake you grew up on, made even higher from scratch.


Carry Again Candy Reminiscences with This Hostess-Impressed Chocolate Sheet Cake
This home made Ding Dong cake brings all of the nostalgic appeal of the traditional Hostess snack cake—simply the best way you keep in mind it, however even higher. We’ve reimagined it as a straightforward chocolate sheet cake, layered with fluffy marshmallow filling and topped with wealthy ganache. Should you’re craving a straightforward chocolate cake with filling or simply need to relive a favourite childhood deal with, this one’s positive to hit the spot. Each chew is a scrumptious throwback—with a home made twist you’ll love.
Elements


For the Chocolate Cake Layer
- Satan’s Meals cake combine: Use your favourite model of boxed combine. For a enjoyable twist, you may swap in a vanilla or yellow cake combine to imitate a “Twinkie-style” model.
- Giant eggs
- Entire milk
- Brewed espresso: Utilizing espresso deepens the chocolate taste with out making the cake style like espresso. Should you choose, you may substitute scorching water. Need to intensify the chocolate taste much more? Add 1–2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to the combination.
- Vegetable oil
For the Marshmallow Cream Filling
- Powdered sugar
- Marshmallow creme: You possibly can swap this with a mixture of whipped vanilla frosting and a jar of marshmallow fluff if wanted.
- Salted butter, softened to room temperature to forestall lumps in your filling.
- Heavy cream
- Clear vanilla extract: Common vanilla works, however clear vanilla retains the filling brilliant white like the unique Hostess cupcakes.
For the Ganache Topping
- Darkish chocolate chips (at the least 60% cacao): Semi-sweet chips work too, but it surely received’t be as wealthy or shiny.
- Heavy cream
For the Vanilla Icing Swirls (Elective)
- Powdered sugar
- Entire milk
- Clear vanilla extract
See the recipe card for full data on elements and portions.


Make Hostess Sheet Cake
This snack cake comes collectively rapidly with wealthy layers and nostalgic flavors. Right here’s how one can make it:
- Prep pan and oven: Preheat to 350°F. Line a 12×18 sheet pan with parchment (depart overhang) and spray with nonstick spray.
- Make cake batter: Combine cake combine, eggs, milk, espresso, and oil till clean.
- Bake and funky: Pour into pan and bake 13 minutes or till a toothpick comes out clear. Cool fully, about 1 hour.
- Minimize and layer: Slice cake in half to make two 12×9 layers. Place one half top-side down on a parchment-lined pan.
- Make filling: Beat butter, marshmallow creme, powdered sugar, cream, and clear vanilla till fluffy. Add extra sugar if wanted to thicken.
- Assemble: Unfold filling over backside layer. High with second cake layer, lining it up evenly.
- Make ganache: Warmth cream, pour over chocolate chips, and stir till clean. Let thicken barely, then unfold over cake.
- Add swirl (optionally available): Combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Pipe loops on prime as soon as ganache units.
- Slice and serve: Minimize into 12 squares and luxuriate in!




Variations and Serving Concepts
This Hostess Sheet Cake is scrumptious as-is, but it surely’s straightforward to customise primarily based on what you’ve got readily available or who you’re serving. Attempt certainly one of these enjoyable variations:
- Cupcake Model: Divide the batter into cupcake tins and bake for about 15–18 minutes. Fill with the marshmallow cream utilizing a piping bag, then prime with ganache. These make good get together treats!
- Vanilla Twist: Swap the Satan’s Meals cake combine with yellow or vanilla cake combine for a lighter model that also pairs fantastically with the creamy middle and ganache.
- Snack Cake Squares: Chill the cake fully, then minimize into small rectangles and wrap in foil—similar to the traditional Hostess look!
- Vacation Enjoyable: Add festive sprinkles to the ganache or swirl pink and inexperienced icing into the white swirl for a seasonal contact.
These swaps additionally work nice for bake gross sales, birthday events, or make-ahead treats for the freezer.
Storage Directions
Fridge: Retailer the assembled cake tightly lined in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. For the most effective texture and taste, let slices sit at room temperature for about quarter-hour earlier than serving.
Room Temperature: If serving the identical day, the cake can sit out at room temperature (in a cool, dry place) for a couple of hours—however refrigeration is finest for longer freshness.
Freezing: To freeze, wrap particular person slices tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe container or ziploc bag. Freeze for as much as 2 months. Thaw within the fridge in a single day, then convey to room temperature earlier than serving for the most effective texture.


Extra Enjoyable Desserts to Attempt
- Texas Sheet Cake – A traditional Southern chocolate sheet cake topped with heat fudge icing and crunchy pecans. Wealthy, easy, and crowd-pleasing.
- Ding Dong Cake – A layered, spherical cake model of the nostalgic favourite, full with marshmallow filling and chocolate ganache.
- Twinkie Cake – A light-weight and fluffy vanilla twist on the beloved snack cake, with a creamy filling in each chew.
- Chocolate Poke Cake – Extremely-moist chocolate cake soaked in pudding or ganache, then topped with whipped cream or frosting. A chocolate lover’s dream.
If you’ve tried this Hostess Sheet Cake Recipe or another recipe on my web site, please depart a star ranking and let me know the way it turned out within the feedback under.
For the Marshmallow Filling:
For the Vanilla Icing Swirls:
Preheat the oven to 350 levels fahrenheit. Line a 12×18 sheet pan with parchment paper, ensuring to depart a little bit of overhang to take away the cake simply, afterward.
In a big mixing bowl, mix all of the cake elements (cake combine, oil, espresso, milk, and eggs). Combine completely (a hand mixer would make this best and quickest).
15.25 ounces 1 Satan’s Meals Cake Combine, ½ cup Entire Milk, ½ cup Espresso, ½ cup Vegetable Oil, 3 Giant Eggs
Spray the parchment paper on the ready pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Pour the cake batter within the pan and unfold evenly.
Bake for 13 minutes or till a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clear.
Take away the cake and permit it to chill for about an hour within the pan.
Minimize the cake in half, width sensible. This could make two muffins which are about 12×9.
Cowl the smaller sheet pan with parchment paper and place one of many cake items, prime down, in the midst of the pan.
In a medium bowl, mix all elements for the filling (butter, heavy cream, powdered sugar, marshmallow creme, and vanilla). Combine till no lumps stay (a mixer would even be helpful for this step as properly).
2½ cups Powdered Sugar, 6 tablespoons Salted Butter, 4 tablespoons Heavy Cream, ½ tablespoon Clear Vanilla Extract, 13 ounces Marshmallow Creme
If the filling is fairly runny or skinny, add some powdered sugar till it doesn’t need to instantly flatten and run when added to the cake.
Spoon the filling on to the center of the cake you positioned on the smaller sheet pan and unfold it to the sides, evenly.
Take the opposite half of the cake remaining and gently place it on prime of the marshmallow filling, with the highest up. Ensure that it’s lined up with the opposite cake half on the underside. If any filling is pushing out the perimeters, use a butter knife to softly scrape it away.
Place 5 ounces of heavy cream in a glass measuring cup and warmth within the microwave, on excessive, for two minutes and 30 seconds, stopping each 15 seconds to stir so it doesn’t overheat. It’s necessary to not let the milk boil.
5 ounces Heavy Cream
Place the chocolate chips in a medium mixing bowl and pour the heated heavy cream excessive. Stir till the combination is clean.
5 ounces Darkish Chocolate Chips
Let the combination relaxation for about 5 minutes, or till it begins to thicken a bit, however remains to be shiny.
Gently pour about half the ganache in the midst of the cake and unfold it to the sides. Add extra ganache and unfold it till the highest is totally lined. Enable the cake to relaxation for an hour, so the ganache can arrange.
As soon as the ganache is ready, in a small mixing bowl, mix all of the vanilla icing elements (vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk) and stir till completely combined.
1 cup Powdered Sugar, 1 teaspoon Clear Vanilla Extract, 1½ tablespoons Entire Milk
Rigorously measure the sting of the cake and make little marks the place it will likely be minimize. I do 4×3 to make 12 slices whole. You don’t have to do that step, it simply makes it simpler for the vanilla icing course of.
Place the icing in a frosting bag and minimize the tip of the bag (not very a lot, you don’t need an excessive amount of popping out).
Begin in the midst of every slicing row (the marks made earlier) and make a steady looping line of the icing. Repeat for all rows for a complete of 4 looping traces on the cake.
Lastly, slice, serve, and luxuriate in!
- Fridge: Retailer lined for as much as 5 days. Let sit quarter-hour earlier than serving.
- Room Temp: Fantastic for a couple of hours if serving similar day.
- Freezer: Wrap slices in plastic and freeze in an hermetic container as much as 2 months. Thaw in fridge, then convey to room temp.
- Cool cake totally earlier than including filling.
- Line pan with parchment and depart overhang.
- Chill assembled cake half-hour earlier than slicing.
- Use a mixer for clean, fluffy filling.
Energy: 662kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 5g | Fats: 32g | Saturated Fats: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 8g | Monounsaturated Fats: 8g | Trans Fats: 0.3g | Ldl cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 381mg | Potassium: 251mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 72g | Vitamin A: 503IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 2mg

