Giant Hostess Ho Hos Cake

Why yes, that is a giant Ho Ho cake. With this week’s challenge being “faux-stess” (or DIY Hostess products), I knew I had to go big. It actually turned out to be much easier than I had originally anticipated too – and I think I hit the flavors pretty much spot on.

Plus, it slices easily into perfect portions for any holiday party, for anyone wondering what they’d do with a HUGE Ho Ho other than try their best not to eat it all in one sitting.

The cake ingredients for this recipe include extra brown sugar, for added sweetness. Marshmallow fluff is also essential to getting the right texture to the cream filling. PRO TIP: As with most baking recipes, you’ll want the butter and eggs to be room temperature before beginning.

Begin by separating the egg whites and yolks. Whisk the whites in a stand mixer until they are light and fluffy, adding the white sugar a few teaspoons at a time until stiff peaks form. Slowly incorporate the brown sugar and whisk on low until it appears to have melted into the whites.

Next add the yolks and butter, then in tablespoon increments, add the flour, baking soda, and cocoa and stir until a smooth batter forms.

Butter a jelly roll pan then lay parchment down to stick to the butter. Then grease the parchment paper with more butter to ensure no sticking in the upcoming steps. The last thing you want while making the cake is for it to stick to the pan and ruin an otherwise perfect roll.

Spread a smooth 1/4 inch thick layer of the cake batter across the parchment paper, taking care to cover the parchment evenly. Bake the cake for 15 minutes at 350°F or until it’s puffed up and appears dry on top. Let it cool for about 10 minutes then lay another piece of parchment paper over the top of the cake, followed by a towel and a second, larger jelly roll pan. Invert the pans so the cake lands on the larger parchment and towel lined pan, and peel off the top layer of original parchment paper.

Let the cake cool entirely as you whip together the powdered sugar, marshmallow fluff, cream of tartar and water until a thick frosting forms.

Starting in the center, spread the cream filling to the edges of the cake. Then lift up the parchment paper on the short end of the cake, and roll and tuck the cake into itself. Continue to roll the cake into a cylinder shape. Wrap it tightly in parchment paper, then let chill for at least 8 hours or over night.

Once the cake is chilled through, remove it carefully from the parchment wrapper. Trim the ends of the cake to reveal the spiral center.

Going with the giant theme I created for myself, I also grabbed a few extra large Hershey chocolate bars for my chocolate covering. I realize the authentic Ho Hos likely use a different kind of chocolate, and if you are trying to get it suuuper close in appearance to the real deal, I’d recommend a darker chocolate to coat the cake. I however, do not like dark chocolate, so milk chocolate worked just as well for me.

Just melt the chocolate along with some shortening in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between, until the chocolate is totally melted.

Using a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, I carefully poured all of the melted chocolate over the top of the giant Ho Ho. I lifted the cooling rack off the baking sheet and quickly rolled the parchment into a tube and was able to funnel it back into the pour cup and repeat this step a few times for an extra thick chocolate covering.

Finally, chill the cake until the chocolate covering is completely dry. Use a serrated knife to cut through the cake too, so you don’t smash it while trying to serve to your guests too!

In a side-by-side taste comparison, I don’t believe I could have gotten much closer. I think the original must use a kind of darker Dutch chocolate for the cake part, but the cream filling was definitely spot on.

I think this recipe takes the cake for being one of my all time favorites now, I know I’ll definitely be making it again for a party or event in the future for sure.