Indulge in the ultimate chocolate treat with our delicious Ding Dong Cake recipe! Moist chocolate cake layered with creamy filling and topped with decadent chocolate ganache. Perfect for any chocolate lover!

chocolate ding dong cake sliced open on a white plate on a light pink surface with a white stripped linen.

For this Ding Dong Cake, we are going to take my all-time favorite chocolate cake recipe and fill it with Ermine Frosting (also known as boiled milk frosting) and finally drizzle chocolate ganache all over the cake. You end up with a moist cake, super soft and fluffy cream filling, and a decadent chocolate shell. All reminiscent of the snack we all knew and loved as a kid, a hostess ding dong or hostess cupcakes.

This cake is rich in chocolate flavor but not overly sweet, the cream filling is a perfect pairing to the chocolate ganache. While this is not super simple to make, I would suggest my sour cream chocolate cake if you are a beginner, this ding dong cake is not hard to make but it requires some time and patience. Especially when it comes to the cream filling and chocolate ganache topping. But it is so worth it!

chocolate ding dong layer cake on a white plate on a light pink surface with a white stripped linen.

Let's get to the recipe

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Ingredients
Instructions
Tips for Success
More chocolate recipes
Recipe Card
Recipe Ratings & Comments

Ingredients

Don't let the ingredient list scare you off, it's mainly pantry/ kitchen staples for a baker!

Granulated Sugar. The sugar sweetens the cake while adding to the structure while baking.
All-Purpose Flour / Plain Flour. I highly suggest weighing your flour on a digital scale to ensure accuracy.
Dutch Process Cocoa Powder. I do not suggest swapping in natural cocoa powder as the acidity is different and due to the chemical leavening agents in this recipe (baking soda and baking powder) you will mess the cake up. I use Rodelle Dutch Cocoa Powder or Bensdorp Dutch Cocoa Powder)
Chemical Leavening Agents. Baking soda and baking powder are needed to ensure we get the best cake rise without a metallic taste.
Salt. Salt enhances the flavor profiles of all of the other ingredients as well.
Large Eggs. You'll want the eggs at room temperature so they can evenly incorporate into the rest of the batter. Eggs provide fat and structure to the cake.
Pure Vanilla Extract. Vanilla and chocolate pair beautifully together.
Vegetable Oil. Oil retains moisture better than butter does so when I am making any kind of chocolate cake I generally prefer oil!
Sour Cream. This dairy moisture bomb helps create a super moist and tender cake crumb.
Whole Milk. You can use 2% milk or skim milk if that is all you have on hand but I suggest whole milk.
Hot Coffee. The coffee makes the chocolate flavor more intense, trust me when I say that you can't taste the coffee.

I have a whole post dedicated to the in's and out's of Ermine Frosting if you want to find out more about it. For the Ermine frosting filling you will need:

Granulated Sugar
All-Purpose Flour
Whole Milk
Salted Butter, softened*
Pure Vanilla Extract

And finally, for the chocolate ganache, you'll need:

Heavy Whipping Cream. The warm cream will help melt the chocolate to create that silky smooth chocolate ganache.
Good Quality Dark Chocolate. Don't skimp on the quality of the chocolate here, trust me. I use Callebaut Chocolate Callets but any good chocolate bar finely chopped will work.
Golden Syrup or Light Corn Syrup. Adding a little syrup gives the ganache a glorious sheen.

ingredients for chocolate ding dong cake in small bowls on a sheet pan.

For ingredient quantities please reference the recipe card below. On the recipe card there is a button for US or M (Metric) measurements.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease two 8-inch round cake pans. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer or large bowl with a whisk combine the sugar, eggs, vanilla, oil, sour cream, and milk mix until fully combined.

wet ingredients for chocolate cake in a bowl then whisked together on a light pink surface with a white stripped linen.

Place a fine mesh metal sieve on top and sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Stir to combine.

cake dry ingredients sifted into wet ingredients in a glass bowl on a light pink surface with a stripped linen.

Add in the hot coffee and mix until evenly combined. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is combined.

chocolate cake batter in a glass bowl with coffee added on a light pink surface with a white stripped linen.

The cake batter will be very thin. Pour evenly into prepared pans.

chocolate cake before and after baking on a light pink surface.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean/ only moist crumbs, no wet batter. Set cakes on a wire rack to cool completely.

While cakes are cooling prepare chocolate frosting. When cakes are fully cooled begin frosting.

chocolate ganache in a bowl and ermine frosting in a metal bowl on a light pink surface with a white stripped linen.

When the cakes are cooled and Ermine filling is made prepare the ganache. Check out this detailed post on how to make ermine frosting.

To make ganache in a small saucepan heat heavy cream for 2-3 minutes. In a medium-sized bowl add in chocolate and pour heavy cream on top of chocolate and add the syrup. Let sit for 3 minutes then whisk until completely combined. The hot cream will melt the chocolate. Once combined set aside to thicken up for 10 minutes.

Place one cake on a serving platter/cake plate spread with Ermine frosting or pipe it on. Place the second cake layer on top and sort of press it down slightly to seal the cake.

ding dong cake frosted on a light pink surface with a white stripped linen.

Pour ⅓-1/2 of the chocolate ganache on top of the cake and use a straight icing spatula for the sides and a small angled spatula for the top to cover the cake in an even layer of chocolate ganache.

ding dong cake frosted with chocolate ganache with a spatula.

Place the cake in the freezer to harden up for 30 minutes. Then spread chocolate ganache on top and let drizzle down the sides. Place back in the freezer to harden up again for 15 minutes.

chocolate ganache poured and spread on top of a chocolate cake.

Serve and store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can store it at room temperature if you live in a cool environment.

chocolate ganache dripping down ding dong cake on a white plate on a light pink surface with a white stripped linen.

slice of chocolate ding dong cake on a white plate on a light pink surface with some forks.

Tips for Success

Don't cut corners on the instructions, if it says room temperature butter then make sure it is at room temperature not too cold or too soft.
Take your time when baking. Rushing will cause the most mistakes in baking.
Let the ermine frosting pudding really cool down before you make the cream filling.
You want a thick but pourable chocolate ganache so once it is all mixed together let it set up to thicken. Sometimes if it is hot I put the chocolate ganache in the freezer for 5 minutes at a time then re-whisk until the desired consistency is reached.
Store the cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container to keep it fresh but let the cake sit for 15 minutes at room temperature before enjoying a slice.

More chocolate recipes

slice of ding dong cake half eaten on a white plate on a light pink surface.

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Recipe Card

Ding Dong Cake

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Print Recipe

Total Time: 3 Hours 5 Minutes
Yield: 10-12 Slices 1x

Instructions

*Prepare the pudding for the Ermine filling first, steps 1-2 so it cools while the cakes are baking and cooling.*

Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease two 8-inch round pans. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer or large bowl with a whisk combine the sugar, eggs, vanilla, oil, sour cream, and milk mix until fully combined. Place a fine mesh metal sieve on top and sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Mix to just combine.
Add in the hot coffee and mix until evenly combined. The cake batter will be very thin. Pour evenly into prepared pans.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean/ only moist crumbs, no wet batter. Set cakes on a wire rack to cool completely.
While cakes are cooling prepare chocolate frosting. When cakes are fully cooled begin frosting.

Ermine Filling

In a large pot over low to medium heat whisk together the granulated sugar and flour, making sure there are no flour lumps. Then slowly stream in the milk you want to whisk the whole time, the mixture should be smooth and slowly start to thicken. It's going to take a couple of minutes for the mixture to thicken. The mixture is ready when you can draw a line in the pan and it doesn't immediately cover itself.
Pour the pudding mixture into a heat-proof container, and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top to prevent skin from forming and chill the pudding. The pudding must be cool just below room temperature before you can start using it in the butter.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld whisk mixer beat the butter until light and fluffy, scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all of the butter is light and fluffy. Then add the pudding mixture one tablespoon at a time mixing until fully combined and light and fluffy. Start on low speed and increase to medium-high once all of the pudding has been added. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the vanilla bean paste and mix to combine. Once fully combined, I use a spatula to scrape the bowl and push out any air bubbles and then your ermine frosting is ready to be used. You can use a piping tip to create a design or you can spread it with a spoon, knife, or spatula.

Chocolate Ganache

When the cakes are cooled and Ermine filling is made prepare the ganache. To make ganache in a small saucepan heat heavy cream for 2-3 minutes. In a medium-sized bowl add in chocolate and pour heavy cream on top of chocolate and add the syrup. Let sit for 3 minutes then whisk until completely combined. The hot cream will melt the chocolate. Once combined set aside to thicken up for 10 minutes.
Place one cake on a serving platter/cake plate spread with Ermine frosting or pipe it on. Place the second cake layer on top and sort of press it down slightly to seal the cake. Pour ⅓-1/2 of the chocolate ganache on top of the cake and use a straight icing spatula for the sides and a small angled spatula for the top to cover the cake in an even layer of chocolate ganache. Place the cake in the freezer to harden up for 30 minutes. Then spread chocolate ganache on top and let drizzle down the sides. Place back in the freezer to harden up again for 15 minutes. Serve and store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can store it at room temperature if you live in a cool environment.