Homemade Strawberry Ding Dong Recipe

Your favorite Ding Dong snack cakes just had a Strawberries and Cream makeover. This Ding Dong Recipe is filled with big strawberry flavor and is the perfect treat for a party, a holiday, a lunch or a little snack for that special “someone.”

Hostess Ding Dongs are one of our favorite childhood snacks. What am I saying? They are still a favorite snack and are a “must have” item in any of our picnic baskets. My husband won’t leave on a camping trip without them.

If you aren’t sure what a Ding Dong is, they are small, round cakes (about the size of a hockey puck) that are filled with a whipped cream type center and dipped in chocolate. I say whipped cream “type” center because I’m not sure anyone really knows exactly what is in the “official” Ding Dong Recipe. Like all commercial baked goods, Ding Dongs do have a their share of preservatives.

One night, I had a dream… well it was more of an idea, anyway, I thought it would be a special treat to make homemade Ding Dongs for my husband’s birthday.  They were such a big hit that I decided to make them again only this time, I thought I would make them for me. Yep. A Ding Dong Recipe for Mom.

So, why not make them one of my favorite cake flavors, STRAWBERRY!

Genius! It worked out great and the Strawberry Ding Dong Recipe was born!

Since making my first batch (pictured) I have made them for Baby Showers, Easter, Valentine’s Day AND a fancy, shmancy ladies luncheon.

I hope they will become a favorite of your’s, as well.

How to make Strawberry Ding Dong Recipe:

Tips, Tricks and What to Watch Out for—

This Homemade Ding Dong Recipe is relatively easy BUT it does require some time. If you have not worked with dipping chocolate or candy melts before, please, please, please allow extra time. Better yet, make and fill the cakes the day before they are needed. Just wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill.

• I used my favorite Strawberry Cake Recipe for this batch of Strawberry Ding Dongs.  You will notice that the “crumb” of the cake is a little “rustic” with large crumbs and large air pockets. They are delicious but, they do take a little extra care to dip in chocolate and smooth around the sides..
• You can use a Strawberry Cake Mix (I use Duncan Hines). This will give you a finer crumb and be a little quicker to dip in chocolate or candy melts.
•  Be sure to use parchment paper when you bake your cake, it will make the cake easy to handle and will peel away some of the darker, outer cake.
• Cool cake on a rake until cool to the touch.  Wrap cake in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 to 4 hours. Chilling the cake will make it easier to cut out and coat with chocolate.
• Turn cake out of the pan with the presentation side (smoothest side that will be the top) up. Remove parchment paper.
• Cut out circles of cake using biscuit or cookie cutter with tall sides.
• Place cake circles on a wire cooling rack smooth.

• Whip the filling after the cake has chilled or keep the filling refrigerated until ready to use.
• Use a piping bag with a small tip for the filling. I use a tip to fill eclairs and cream puffs (shown above).
• Poke the tip of the pastry bag into the center of the Ding Dong and slowly fill with cream filling.
• Watch carefully so that the filling does not escape through the top of the Ding Dong.
• It is better to make several small holes in the Ding Dong to fill the cake with filling than to have the filling come out the top or sides (see below).

• Place the Ding Dongs on the wire rack and set the rack over a cookie sheet or sheet pan to catch the excess chocolate. You can reuse the chocolate.
• Chill the Ding Dongs until ready to coat in chocolate. They will be easier to coat with chocolate or candy melts. Cover with plastic wrap if it will be longer than a few minutes.

• Melt chocolate or candy melts over a double boiler until melted and smooth. DO NOT allow the water or steam to drip into the chocolate or candy melts.
• If the chocolate is too thick, use a few pieces of Wilton Candy Melt EZ Thin or grated paraffin wax ( I use Gulf Wax that can be found in the “canning section” of the grocery store and can be used for food products).
• Keep the hot water from melting the chocolate or candy melts.
• Use a small off-set spatula to coat the bottom of the Ding Dongs.
• Turn Ding Dong over and use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour chocolate or candy melts over the Ding Dongs. Dip the off-set spatula into the really hot water to heat the spatula. Dry the spatula and use it to smooth the sides and top of the Ding Dongs, if necessary.
• Leave Ding Dongs on the rack for the coating to set and harden. DO NOT refrigerate at this point.
• When the Ding Dongs are set, wrap individually in colored candy foils or seal in an airtight container. Separate layers of Ding Dongs with parchment paper.

I hope you love these little Strawberry Ding Dongs! They are a fun treat for anyone you love!

Let me know how you like them or have a question about them. You can follow me on Everyday Southwest’s Facebook Page and leave a comment there OR you can always leave a comment here on the blog.

I can’t wait to hear from you!

Sandy

5 from 5 votes

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Homemade Strawberry Ding Dong Recipe

These adorable Homemade Ding Dongs are packed with big strawberry flavor! They a perfect for a special event or just to say "I love you." 

Be sure to leave extra time for making these, they are not difficult but they do take extra time.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 3 hours

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Author Sandra Hoopes

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 18.25-ounce box white cake mix
• 1 3-ounce box strawberry-flavored instant gelatin
• 1 15-ounce package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup water

Cream Filling

• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Coating

• 2 12 ounces of good quality white chocolate (not chocolate chips) or pink candy melts
• paste food coloring (if using white chocolate
• 1 to 2 tablespoons Wilton Candy Melt EZ Thin or grated paraffin

Instructions

1. 1 cup whipping cream
2. 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
3. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4. Chocolate Coating
5. 2 (12 ounces) of good quality white chocolate (not chocolate chips) or pink candy melts
6. paste food coloring (if using white chocolate
7. 1 to 2 tablespoons Wilton Candy Melt EZ Thin or grated paraffin

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 9 by 13 cake pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and
gelatin. Add pureed strawberries, eggs,
oil, and water. Beat on medium speed with
an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into
pan.
3. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes
or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
4. Let cake cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and remove parchment paper. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.

Cream Filling

1. Place water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over water and allow to soften 5 minutes.
2. Dissolve gelatin by microwaving for 1 minute. Remove from microwave and stir. Repeat this process 2 times or until gelatin is melted.
3. Let gelatin stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Gelatin should be liquid but not hot when added to cream.
4. Beat cream, powdered sugar and vanill

Chocolate Coating

1. Melt white chocolate or candy melts over a double boiler. Do not allow any water drops or steam to get into the chocolate. Stir occasionally. Heat until melted and smooth.
2. If the chocolate is too thick, stir in few flakes of EZ Thin or grated paraffin at a time until desired consistency.
3. If using white chocolate, color the chocolate with paste food coloring by dipping a toothpick into food coloring and transferring a small amount at a time into chocolate. Stir coloring into chocolate. If the col