TODAY Food Club

In November of 2012, a beloved American snack manufacturer rocked our world by announcing news that we didn’t really have an appetite for. After 84 years, Hostess would cease production of Twinkies and other favorites like Ding Dongs and CupCakes. How could we live without our Twinkies? Well it didn’t take long for America to do what America does best—turn a challenge into an opportunity, and Wilton Industries, one of the largest baking supply companies in the country, was one of the first to take advantage of it. Wilton quickly created a line of “nostalgia” baking pans that make mini cakes in the shape of Twinkies, CupCakes, Suzy Q’s, Ho Ho’s, Ding Dongs, and Sno Balls. Last July, Hostess was purchased by another company and once again our treasured Twinkies started rolling off the production line. But the pause gave consumers a chance to recreate the quintessential snack treat in their own kitchens. Wilton created a “Twinkie twin” baking pan is called the Delectovals Mini Cake Pan, and it’s about as much fun as you can have for $12.99. The Twinkies come out perfectly and once you make those three telltale holes and pipe the filling into them, you can’t tell the difference between homemade and the real deal! Thanks, Wilton! Now we can have our “golden sponge cake with cream filling” and eat it too!

Homemade Twinkies

Ingredients

• ½ cup sifted cake flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs, separated
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened (Filling)
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar (Filling)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla (Filling)
• 2-3 teaspoons milk (Filling)
• Non-stick pan spray (Filling)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray or grease pan. (Important)
2. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In another bowl, whip egg whites with electric mixer until foamy.
4. Add cream of tartar and whip until stiff but not dry.
5. In clean bowl, whip egg yolks 1 minute; add vanilla and gradually add sugar, whipping until mixture is pale yellow and doubled in volume.
6. With rubber spatula, fold ⅓ of egg whites into yolks to loosen; fold in remaining whites until nearly combined.
7. Add flour and fold in well. Fill cavities ¾ full with batter.
8. Bake 6-8 minutes or until top is lightly browned and center springs back when touched.
9. Cool in pan for about 5 minutes.
10. Gently lift from pan and cool completely.
11. Slice excess from bottom.
12. Prepare Filling (See Instructions below)
13. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well combined, scraping down bottom and sides of bowl.
14. Add vanilla and milk and beat until light and fluffy.
15. Using a piping bag and tip with a small hole, pipe filling into the bottom of cakes in 3 spots.

Recipe Tags

• Kid-friendly
• American
• Dessert