Twinkie Cake
My Twinkie Cake features a super moist yellow cake filled with an old fashioned flour based frosting called Ermine. It is easy to make, doesn't require any piping skills, and isn't overly sweet.
The Snack Cake For Grown Up Cravings
I love nostalgic desserts like my copycat Cosmic brownies, peanut butter and jelly cookies, and even bubblegum ice cream. My newest creation is this twinkie cake. It bakes in a 9x13 pan, travels well, and is always the first thing gone at back sales. Serve with a tall glass of ice cold milk.
Why Our Recipe Is the Best: A Sprinkle of Food Science
- We Doctor Up the Cake Mix: Using milk instead of water adds fat for a tender soft texture and an extra egg adds richness.
- We Add Pudding: Pudding contains precooked starch that help the cake stay moist for days. The doctored cake mix + the pudding gives us a super soft and moist cake that resembles a snack cake without all the chemicals.
- We Use Ermine Frosting: The cooked flour allows the frosting to hold more air than a simple buttercream. This makes it light, airy, and not too sweet.
Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
- Milk: Use whole milk for the thickest texture.
- Cake Mix: I like Pillsbury, but use your fave!
- Pudding: Make sure you grab instant pudding not cook and serve!
- Butter: Soften the butter to room temperature. It should be soft but melted or greasy. Around an hour on the counter should do the trick.
- Vanilla: This recipe is fantastic with our homemade vanilla.
Troubleshooting and Tips: Steal My Culinary School Secrets
- Cake Is Dry: This indicates it was overbaked. Bake until a toothpick inserted has a few moist crumbs. If it's totally clean you're entering overbaked territory.
- Cake Tears When Cutting: Cut with a serrated knife only when fully cooled. Let the knife do the work, pressing too hard can cause it to crack.
- Frosting Is Greasy: This could happen if you don't cool the milk/flour paste enough. To fix it, warm it and rewhip.
- Frosting Is Too Loose: Keep whipping! It can take longer than usual at least 4-5 full minutes to achieve the super light cloud like texture.
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📖 Recipe
Best Twinkie Cake
My Twinkie Cake features a super moist yellow cake filled with an old fashioned flour based frosting called Ermine. It is easy to make, doesn't require any piping skills, and isn't overly sweet.
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Servings: 12 Slices
Calories: 447kcal
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Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 Box Yellow Cake Mix 15.25 Ounces
- 1 Box Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix 3.4 Ounces, NOT Cook and Serve
- 4 Eggs Room Temperature
- 1 Cup Whole Milk
- ½ Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
For the Ermine Frosting
- 1 Cup Whole Milk
- 5 Tablespoons Flour
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter Softened
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 Pinch Salt
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Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix and pudding mix.
- Stir in the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix until smooth about 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then move it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Slice cake in half horizontally.
For the Frosting
- In a medium saucepan, whisk milk and flour until smooth. Cook over medium heat whisking constantly until it thickens. It should resemble pudding.
- Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Press plastic wrap on top to prevent a skin from forming.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy about 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in the cooled flour mixture one tablespoon at a time. Stir in salt and vanilla.
- Beating for another 2–3 minutes or until smooth and cloud like.
Notes
- Don't Overbake: Bake until a toothpick inserted has a few moist crumbs. If it's totally clean it may be dry.
- Cut with a serrated knife only when fully cooled. Let the knife do the work, pressing too hard can cause it to crack.
- Frosting Is Greasy: This could happen if you don't cool the milk/flour paste enough. To fix it, warm it and rewhip.
- It can take longer than usual at least 4-5 full minutes to achieve the super light cloud like texture.
Nutrition
Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 406mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 618IU | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 1mg
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