Ding Dong Chocolate Cake (Printer-Friendly)

Rich chocolate cake with fluffy cream filling and silky ganache topping, capturing a timeless dessert favorite.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chocolate Ganache

01 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
02 - ¾ cup heavy cream

→ Cake Batter

03 - 1 cup whole milk
04 - 8 ounces sour cream
05 - 1 ½ cups cake flour
06 - ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
07 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
08 - ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
09 - 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
10 - ½ cup vegetable oil
11 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, divided
12 - 2 large eggs
13 - ½ cup all-purpose flour

→ Filling

14 - 1 cup whole milk
15 - 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
16 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
17 - ½ cup vegetable shortening
18 - 2 cups powdered sugar
19 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Place semi-sweet chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Warm heavy cream in the microwave to 180-190°F. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
02 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
03 - Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Warm 1 cup milk to 180-190°F, pour over chocolate, and let sit 5 minutes. Whisk in sour cream until smooth. Set aside.
04 - In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
05 - Using an electric mixer, beat brown sugar with vegetable oil until combined. Add vanilla extract and eggs one at a time, incorporating fully after each addition.
06 - Add half of the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated. Follow with half of the chocolate and sour cream mixture, mixing until combined. Repeat with remaining dry and wet mixtures until fully blended.
07 - Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake on middle rack at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
08 - In a small saucepan, whisk together 1 cup milk and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens to a paste. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
09 - In a large bowl, whip butter and vegetable shortening with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar until fully incorporated and thick. Stir in cooled milk and flour paste and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
10 - Spread the cream filling evenly over the cooled cake. Refrigerate while preparing ganache topping.
11 - Pour slightly cooled ganache over the filling layer, spreading evenly. Chill cake uncovered in refrigerator for 45 minutes to set.
12 - Slice and serve chilled for optimal texture and flavor.

# Helpful Hints:

01 - Allow cake to chill for 45 minutes to let the ganache set and filling thicken before slicing.
02 - For a lighter cream filling, use vegetable shortening as directed.
03 - Store cake covered in refrigerator up to 6 days; slices can be frozen wrapped tightly for up to 3 months.

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