This Copycat Ding Dong Cupcakes recipe is the real deal! Growing up I regularly ate Hostess ding dong cupcakes. So you can imagine how excited I was to try this recipe. Needless to say, I was not disappointed with the results.
When making this recipe, I highly recommend you use a Candy Thermometer to ensure the filling is properly cooked. If for some reason you don’t have a candy thermometer, I suggest you go on Amazon right now and buy one.
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Buttermilk Substitution
If you don’t have Buttermilk on hand, you can use this trick as a substitute: Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring cup. Add milk and fill to the 1 cup measurement line. Stir the mixture together and let sit for 5 minutes. Since this recipe calls for 1/2 cup you will need to adjust accordingly.
Another option is to use a cultured buttermilk blend. All you need to do is add water. I was very skeptical at first but in a pinch it works great!
Copycat Rating
Since the goal of a Copycat Recipe is for it to taste exactly like the original, it’s only natural to rate this recipe against the original. This Copycat recipe rates an 8 out of 10 in my opinion.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Copycat Ding Dong Cupcakes recipe (see recipe card for quantities): All Purpose Flour, Cocoa Powder, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, White Sugar, Light Brown Sugar, Unsalted Butter, Eggs, Vanilla Extract, Buttermilk, Cream of Tartar, Dark Chocolate, Heavy Cream, Powdered Sugar and Milk.
How to Make Ding Dong Cupcakes
MAKE THE CUPCAKES
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder then add sugars and mix.
- In a separate bowl, melt butter and add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
- Add wet mixture to dry mixture and fold until combined.
- Spoon mixture into muffin pan lined with paper.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
- Let cool on wire rack.
MAKE MARSHMALLOW FILLING
- Using a double-boiler, melt egg whites, white sugar and cream of tartar, whisking constantly. Using a candy thermometer, heat mixture to 120F which should be around 5 to 6 minutes.
- Remove from heat and mix using an electric mixer for approximately 7 minutes until the mixture is white and fluffy.
- Add vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds.
ADD FILLING TO CUPCAKES
- Cut a small hole on the top of each cupcake (keep cake cores). Using a pastry bag, pipe marshmallow filling into each cupcake – be careful not to overfill. Cut the top off of the cake cores and press on top of the marshmallow filling.
MAKE CHOCOLATE GANACHE TOPPING
- Place 2/3 cup of chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream on low heat (do not boil).
- Pour warm cream over the chocolate and leave for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Gently whisk the mixture until smooth. Put mixture into the fridge for 20 minutes or so until it thickens. Give ganache a stir and drizzle over the top of each cupcake.
MAKE VANILLA BUTTERCREAM TOPPING
- In a small bowl, add 1 Tbsp of softened butter and stir with a spoon. Add 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 2 tsp milk, and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract and stir together. Once smooth, add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and stir. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and pipe swirls on top of each cupcake.
Copycat Ding Dong Cupcakes
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Ingredients
CUPCAKE BATTER
- ¾ Cup All Purpose Flour
- ½ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- ½ Tsp Baking Soda
- ½ Tsp Baking Powder
- ½ Cup White Sugar
- ¼ Cup Light Brown Sugar
- ½ Cup Unsalted Butter
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ Cup Buttermilk
MARSHMALLOW FILLING
- 2 Egg Whites
- ½ Cup White Sugar
- ⅛ Tsp Cream of Tartar
- ½ Tsp Vanilla Extract
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- ⅔ Cup Chopped Dark Chocolate
- ½ Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM TOPPING
- 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tsp Milk
- ¼ Tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
MAKE THE CUPCAKES
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder then add sugars and mix.
- In a separate bowl, melt butter and add eggs, vanilla and buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
- Add wet mixture to dry mixture and fold until combined.
- Spoon mixture into muffin pan lined with paper.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
- Let cool on wire rack.
MAKE MARSHMALLOW FILLING
- Using a double-boiler, melt egg whites, white sugar and cream of tartar, whisking constantly. Using a candy thermometer, heat mixture to 120F which should be around 5 to 6 minutes.
- Remove from heat and mix using electric mixer for approximately 7 minutes until the mixture is white and fluffy.
- Add vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds.
ADD FILLING TO CUPCAKES
- Cut a small hole on the top of each cupcake (keep cake cores). Using a pastry bag, pipe marshmallow filling into each cupcake – be careful not to overfill. Cut top off of cake cores and press on top of marshmallow filling.
MAKE CHOCOLATE GANACHE TOPPING
- Place 2/3 cup of chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream on low heat (do not boil).
- Pour warm cream over chocolate and leave for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Gently whisk the mixture until smooth. Put mixture into the fridge for 20 minutes or so until it thickens. Give ganache a stir and drizzle over the top of each cupcake.
MAKE VANILLA BUTTERCREAM TOPPING
- In a small bowl, add 1 Tbsp of softened butter and stir with a spoon. Add 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 2 tsp milk and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract and stir together. Once smooth, add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and stir. Transfer mixture to piping bag and pipe swirls on top of each cupcake.
Notes
Cupcakes are dry. I might try some oil in the batter next time. Other than that they were pretty good. A little extra work but not hard to make at all.
Very good- my family loved them and they taste just like Hostess Ding Dongs. Thank you for sharing- have baked more than usual this year (2020) and this was a good recipe to use in between cookie batches.
Thanks for the feedback. Glad you all enjoyed them. While they do require a little more work than your typical cupcake, I think they are well worth the effort!