5 from 6 votes

Homemade Twinkies

Homemade Twinkies

If you have my book, Zoë Bakes Cakes, you likely know from the intro that the story of my life with sweets started with an auspicious meeting with the humble Twinkie. I would never presume to create anything as iconic as the original, but these homemade Twinkies are freakin’ delicious.

Two Homemade Twinkies with frosting and flowers on a plate

My son, when tasting these for the first time, declared, “These taste way too good—you didn’t get it quite right!” Love that kid. The chiffon cake is baked in a Twinkie-shaped pan (it’s actually a hot dog-bun pan) to give it the essential look. It is super-tender and has the squish that is so beloved in the original cake snack.

Depending on your preference, you can inject these with Ermine Frosting, Italian Meringue Buttercream, or American Buttercream. My recipe below calls for my favorite.

I sometimes use a small start tip to pipe a bit of frosting on the tops of the cakes before dusting with confectioners’ sugar and decorating with edible flowers, just to jazz them up for a special occasion.

I hope you enjoy this homemade Twinkies recipe from my book, Zoë Bakes Cakes!

Homemade Twinkies

The OG Snack Cake

The story of my life with sweets started with an auspicious meeting with Twinkies. I would never presume to create anything as iconic as the original, but these homemade Twinkies are freakin' delicious.
5 from 6 votes

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (110g) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar divided
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 eggs, separated* at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) mild flavored oil such as vegetable (or olive oil if you want a stronger flavor)
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 egg whites* at room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

American Buttercream

  • 1 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 6 tbsp (83g) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • pinch kosher salt
  • 1-2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) heavy whipping cream

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Lightly grease a nonstick hot dog-bun pan.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup / 100g of the sugar, baking powder, and salt until combined. Set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks, oil, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the egg yolk mixture and whisk together until smooth. Set aside.
  • In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites (5 total) and cream of tartar and beat on high speed until medium peaks form, about 2 minutes. Turn the speed to medium-low and slowly sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup / 50g sugar to create a French meringue. Turn the speed to high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes more.
  • Stir 1/3 of the meringue mixture into the egg yolk mixture to loosen it up. Then, using the whisk attachment or a rubber spatula, fold the remaining meringue into the yolk mixture.
  • Fit a 16-inch / 40cm pastry bag with a large round tip (Ateco #9807), pour the batter into the bag, and then pipe into the prepared pan, filling each mold only 2/3 full.
  • Bake until golden and a tester comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Invert the pan and tap gently to remove the cakes onto a sheet of parchment paper. Let cool completely.

American Buttercream

  • In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the confectioners’ sugar and butter and beat on low speed until combined.
  • Turn the mixer speed to medium and beat until a thick paste forms. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, then add the vanilla, almond extract and salt and beat for a few seconds more.
  • With the mixer on low speed, add enough of the cream, a little at a time, to make the frosting spreadable. Use immediately.

Assembly

  • Fit a 12-inch/30-cm pastry bag with a Bismark piping tip (Ateco #230) and fill with the frosting. Inject the frosting from the bottom of each cake by poking the tip into it about 3/4 of the way through—fill until the cake begins to bulge. Repeat injecting the frosting every 1/2 inch / 1.3 cm.
  • Serve the cake immediately or store in the refrigerator, covered, up to 24 hours. If refrigerated, bring the cake to room temperature before serving.

Notes

Reprinted from Zoë Bakes Cakes. Copyright 2021 by Zoë François. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House.
*Note: this recipe calls for 5 eggs total – 3 whole eggs (separated) + 2 egg whites
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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10 thoughts to “Homemade Twinkies”

  1. Sorry if this sounds dumb, but how do I get filling inside? I remember the old school Twinkie’s had 3 “holes” on the bottom where they were stuffed.
    Would love to make these for my 10 year old who was asking what Twinkie’s were after reading an older book
    Thanks!

    1. Hello! Yes, we accidentally omitted some of the instructions and they have been added now. Happy baking!

  2. Zoe, do you have directions/advice/video for getting the cream successfully into the cake?? Thank you!

    1. Hi Nicole! You make a great point that information is missing 🙂 We have updated the recipe to include assembly instructions. Sorry about that!

  3. How do youasseble the “twinkie”? Like a cream puff or ?????

    It isn’t in the instructions

  4. FYI: The sugar amount on ingredient list does not add up to the amount of sugar added within the recipe instructions

    1. You are absolutely correct! Thank you for calling this out. We have updated the recipe.

  5. Sorry if I am missing something, is it 5 total egg whites for the Swiss meringue? You 3 separated and then later 2 egg whites…?

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