DING DONGS HOSTESS RECIPES

Steps:

• Bake cake per instructions on back of cake mix box using a 9 x 13 baking dish. (NOTE: I substituted milk instead of water, brought eggs to room temperature, and substituted butter for the oil, to give it more of a bakery style fluffy cake.)
• Cool cake completely in baking dish on a wire rack.
• In a stand mixer bowl place shortening and butter. Cream together for 2-3 minutes until combined. Add in sugar, vanilla, and evaporated milk. Beat on setting 2 or 4 for 8-10 minutes until light and creamy. Spread filling over cooled cake evenly.
• Place chocolate fudge frosting In a microwave safe bowl. Melt in microwave for 10 seconds, stir, place back in microwave and melt another 10 seconds, stir and place in microwave once more for 10 seconds until frosting is pourable.
• Pour or spoon melted frosting over the filling layer and spread evenly. (NOTE: Frosting will set pretty fast so spread the frosting quickly.)
• Let sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours to allow the frosting and filling to set up. Or place in refrigerator for 1 hour to set up faster. Enjoy.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the cupcakes, and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
• Fill 8 cupcake liners in a muffin tin almost all of the way to the top.
• Bake for 22-25 minutes until cooked through.
• Let the cupcakes cool to room temperature.
• Remove the cupcake liners, and cup the rounded tops off of the cupcakes, forming a flat ding dong shape.
• Use a knife or a small cookie cutter to cut a circle from the center of the bottom of each cupcake. Be careful not to go all of the way through the other side of the cupcake.
• Use a knife to cut off all but a small cap from the piece of cake you removed from each cupcake. This small piece will serve as a cap on the bottom of the cupcake once you have filled each one with the cream.
• Add the ingredients for the cream filling to a mixing bowl, with the exception of the xanthan gum. Blend on high to form stiff peaks.
• Fold the xanthan gum into the cream mixture until it thickens.
• Pipe the cream filling into the center of each cupcake, and place the cake cap on the bottom to hold it all inside neatly.
• Add the baking chips and coconut oil to a microwave safe bowl, and heat for 30 seconds at a time until the chocolate is melted and well blended.
• Coat the outside of each ding dong with the chocolate, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
• Add the ding dongs to the freezer to set for 30 minutes before serving.