Ding Dong Cake (Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Cream Filling

So I have tried and tried many recipes that just didn't quite get it right. So I set out to perfect it on my own.  The hardest part was the filling; some were more like pudding others like donut filling. I started just making every vanilla filling recipe I could find.  The one I finally settled on being the closest to the real Ding Dong filling.  The cake and ganache are the easiest for me because I absolutely love the cake recipe on the Hershey's Cocoa package and the ganache is one I found in my Grandma's recipe book and have used over and over.  Enjoy!!

Ding Dong Cake

Ingredients

·        2 Cups Sugar

·        1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

·        3/4 cup cocoa powder

·        1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

·        1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

·        1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

·        1/2 cups vegetable oil

·        1 cup milk

·        2 teaspoon vanilla extract

·        2 large eggs

·        1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 8-inch-diameter cake pans.

Mix all dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Using electric mixer, beat oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla into dry ingredients for 2 minutes. Add boiling water slowly. Mixture will be very “watery”. Divide batter among prepared pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack. Cool cakes completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap cakes in plastic and store at room temperature.)

CREAM FILLING:

·       5 tbsp. flour

·       1 1/4 c. milk

·       1 c. granulated sugar

·       1 stick butter

·       1 c. shortening

·       3 Tbsp powdered sugar

In a saucepan, add the milk gradually to the flour and cook over low heat until thickened. Set aside to cool. In the mixer, blend sugar, butter and shortening. Beat well. Add the flour and milk mixture to this and beat 3 to 4 minutes at high speed until light and fluffy adding the powdered sugar one at a time. Spread the filling on the cake. Refrigerate immediately. In fact, if you can, put it in the freezer for about 30 minutes. It helps if the filling is firm when you spread the chocolate frosting on it.

Place 1 cake on 8-inch cardboard round or tart pan bottom. Spread filling over. Top with second cake. Chill on cardboard round 3 hours.

Ganache

·        1 cup heavy whipping cream

·        2/3 cup light corn syrup

·        18 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

·        Additional powdered sugar

Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool.

Place cake on rack set in large rimmed baking sheet. Spread half of ganache over top and sides of cake. Chill cake 1 hour. Rewarm remaining ganache in small saucepan over low heat just until lukewarm, whisking often. Pour ganache over cold cake, spreading as needed to cover top and sides. Chill until ganache is set, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)

Cut out paper heart shapes of differing sizes and arrange atop cake. Sift powdered sugar over. Carefully lift hearts from cake. Serve immediately.