This homemade giant Twinkie Bundt Cake was born out of necessity. Necessity I tell you.
Remember a few years ago when there were going to be no more Twinkies ever?? ?
I never realized just how sad I’d be to see a favorite childhood snack gone. For-ev-er (or so I thought). Until it happened in 2012.
My two favorite extra lunch money indulgences, HoHos and Twinkies were reportedly being taken off the market. I remember people saying things like “Well, they just aren’t a healthy option. Americans are wising up.”
Hmmm… don’t think so. But that’s a nice optimistic thought.
Why did they stop making Twinkies for awhile?
The real reason was actually quite controversial and quite frankly, a little shady.
If you never got the full scoop or somehow missed this moment in history, you can read this article that talks about the behind-the-scenes politics that were at play when Twinkies (and their chocolatey friends, HoHos) were taken off the market.
Thankfully in 2013 balance to the universe was restored. Twinkie and HoHo lovers everywhere rejoiced and the American level of health-conscientiousness remained relatively the same, somewhere between “I’m making healthy eating choices daily” and “YUM, that was delicious.”
It’s always best to know how to make something yourself, just in case. 😉
So, this homemade Twinkie bundt cake is for all of you still in fear that there might be another scarcity of Twinkies OR for the truly health conscious American who enjoys a good Twinkie but would like the ability to eliminate some of the “junk” ingredients typically found in super processed foods.
Watch step-by-step how to make this Giant Twinkie Bundt Cake!
Tips for baking the perfect Twinkie Bundt Cake
You don’t need any special tools to inject the fluffy marshmallow icing inside other than a plastic sandwich bag and a clean finger, but you will need a bundt pan. Here’s the one I use: Nordic Ware Original Bundt Cake Pan
Also, ever wondered how to keep cake from sticking to your bundt pan? First, make sure the bundt pan is nonstick, then here’s the secret: Baker’s Joy. This stuff! It’s a game changer.
Thoroughly coat the bundt pan with Baker’s Joy spray not cooking spray. Baking spray contains flour. Use baking spray and the cake should come out easily looking perfect. It does help to loose up around the edges with a small spatula.
Never fear though, if your cake comes out in more than one piece, then sprinkle on some powdered sugar to cover up any cracks. 😉
and… TA-DA!! Perfect.
Helpful Tools for Making this Twinkie Bundt Cake:
- Bundt Pan
- Thin Rubber Spatula
- Cooling Rack
- Piping Bag
- Cake Stand
- Serving Knife
- Powdered Sugar Shaker
Could you use Marshmallow Fluff instead of Marshmallow flavored frosting?
This first time I made this I did use marshmallow fluff. It was yummy. So you can use marshmallow fluff. However, I prefer to use marshmallow frosting now. Specifically, Pillsbury Fluffy Frost Vanilla Marshmallow.
I’ll explain why. The Marshmallow fluff is sticky and dense and unless you let the cake completely cool, it tends to melt into the cake so you get the flavor but not much of the Twinkie-like creme filling that you’d expect.
So, when I found out there was a marshmallow flavored frosting, I switched to using that. I prefer it. You still need to let the cake completely cool or the same melting/absorbing issue can occur. I live in a rural area so my grocery store has a pretty limited selection of frostings, however they do carry this flavor.
If you can’t find it though, then a vanilla frosting would work well too.
Prefer to make your own marshmallow frosting?
You can. Here’s a well-reviewed recipe for a homemade version of marshmallow frosting: view the frosting recipe here. One reviewer of this recipe on Pinterest had success with Martha Stewart’s homemade marshmallow filling, saying it was, “simple and awesome.” Here’s Martha Stewart’s homemade marshmallow filling recipe.
I have not personally tried either of these filling recipes so please feel free to leave a comment if you have about whether it’s worth the extra effort and what it tastes like so other readers can decide what they want to do. 🙂
What kind of cooking oil works best?
Regular cooking oil works just fine. I was using coconut oil but you end up with a little coconut flavor and it’s not quite as Twinkie-like. I’ve since switched to using a more neutral cooking oil like vegetable oil or corn oil to make this.
Enjoy a bit of coconut flavor?
If you enjoy a hint of coconut flavor and want to use coconut oil, I find it’s easier to measure in liquid form. I spoon the oil into a glass measuring cup and microwave it for about 30 seconds. Add more as needed until you get to the right amount. It blends a bit better into the batter when it’s in liquid form too.
Want more easy dessert ideas?
If you love this Twinkie Bundt Cake, I bet you’ll love this Boston Cream Bundt Cake!
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This Giant Twinkie Bundt Cake was featured on South Your Mouth as the most clicked recipe of the week. 🙂
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I love making this cake!!!…the only thin I do different is I make my filling…I use the same filling I use when I make cream puffs…easy and sooo good…
beat the whipping cream in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer or wire whisk). Once the cream is whipped to desired level of firmness, beat in the powdered sugar, a little at a time, until it is as sweet as you would like.
We use about 1 cup whipping cream with 1/4 to 1/3 powdered sugar. It’s the perfect filling!
Hi Cynthia, Thanks so much for the filling recipe. Super helpful for anyone who wants a more homemade taste. Seems easy too! I’ll have to try that next time we make this.
Do you add any vanilla for taste or leave it powered sugar and whipping cream??
Hi Cyndi, If you’re a vanilla lover, you could always add some to the homemade filling recipe Cynthia commented with below that I believe you are referencing. I use vanilla frosting when I make this cake and it complements the yellow cake mix really nicely.
love this cake – very easy to make. I made it for friends last night and they all loved it, and couldn’t believe how it tasted like Twinkies.
A few hints: I used an apple corer (mine is a Pampered Chef) to pull out the cooled cake – no loose crumbs – worked perfectly. I also used a cookie/frosting tube to add the frosting into the holes. Only took a few seconds and the job was done, and not as messy as using a plastic bag.
Glad you guys liked the cake! Thanks for sharing the tips. Love the idea to use an apple corer!
I’m sure glad you posted that picture and clarified that “fluff” problem. I am 58 years old and have been baking seriously since age 10, and took my first Wilton classes at age 14. I had NO CLUE what you were talking about! I knew if I didn’t know, a LOT of others didn’t either. You must live in a large city or very near one to have variety enough to carry that frosting. I live near a city of almost 100,000 and with 3 chains in town, one of them being Walmart, we do not have that frosting. This is outside of the common vanilla, chocolate, and cream cheese you see even in generics.
In the future, please consider your more rural, elderly readers such as I, and when listing and ingredient such as this, please be more complete:
1 cup Pillsbury Fluffy Frost Vanilla Marshmallow
And some somewhere, like you had to do here in the comments, a picture of the container. The companys should not have an issue with the free advertising! 🙂
Has anyone ever made this using Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme? I assumed that was what you meant by Marshmallow Frosting and bought the big jar of it. Just wondering how this will turn out, or if I should just run to the store to look for actual frosting…
Hi Ruby, I’ve made this with both marshmallow frosting and marshmallow fluff. Either one works! I personally prefer the frosting because its light and fluffy yet still has a marshmallow flavor. I find marshmallow fluff to be sticky and more dense. So it’s just a personal preference not a deal breaker. You could also use plain vanilla frosting and I imagine that would taste pretty good too.
I agree with you Angela, now that I used it. The fluff/creme was a little difficult to work with and then sort of evaporated inside the cake! My sons kept asking “Where’s the cream filling, if this is supposed to be a Twinkie?” (sigh) It still tasted great though! Completely gone in 24 hours. Next time, we will use the actual frosting as suggested.
I’ve read the recipe 3 times. What is the coconut oil for? Does that replace the vegetable oil in the cake?
Thank you for the feedback and your question! I updated the instructions to make it more clear. Yes, the coconut oil would replace the vegetable oil however, if you do not have coconut oil, you can use any kind of cooking oil.
Marshmallow frosting? Do you mean just straight ol’ Durkee Fluff? (I’ve never heard it being referred to as frosting before.)
Really good question. So, I’ve used both marshmallow fluff and marshmallow frosting. Two different things. I personally prefer the frosting but fluff works too, it just absorbs a little more into the cake and is stickier.
Here’s the fluff frosting I use:
In so happy I found this recipe and can’t wait to try it! Another company that went out of business about the same time is Tastykake. I don’t like what the new company provides The product is so different from Tastykake and is horribly sweet..
I hope you like it! One thing you can be sure of is fewer “junk” ingredients with this version at least. If you try it, I’d love to hear what you think!
Looks awesome and simple to make! ????????????
Wish I had this for my birthday… which was the day you posted this ????
How do you make the fluff? No directions,,,,
I’ve never tried making the marshmallow fluff, I just buy it ready made. You could possibly melt marshmallows just enough and then whip them into a frosting-like consistency but not sure if that would work since I’ve never tried it. If you want to keep it easy, look in the aisle with other sandwich spreads and you should see it there. Hope that helps!