Twinkie
intro
Light, fluffy golden sponge cakes stuffed with smooth, sweet vanilla marshmallow filling—the iconic nostalgic American snack cake made fresh from scratch.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep oven and pans
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) with the oven rack positioned in the center. Generously grease all 12 cavities of a log-shaped Twinkie baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, then lightly dust with all-purpose flour, tapping out excess to ensure cakes release cleanly. Skip paper liners, as traditional Twinkies have a smooth, unlined exterior.
Mix sponge base
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together sifted cake flour, baking powder, and 1g (1/4 tsp) fine salt until evenly combined. In a separate large bowl, beat egg yolks with 75g (6 tbsp) granulated sugar on medium-high mixer speed for 3 minutes, until the mixture is pale yellow, thick, and leaves a ribbon trail when the beater is lifted. Stir in cooled melted butter, 60ml (1/4 cup) room-temperature whole milk, and 10ml (2 tsp) vanilla extract, then fold in the dry flour mixture in two equal batches until just combined, with no visible dry lumps.
Whip meringue peaks
In a completely clean, grease-free glass or metal bowl, beat 4 room-temperature egg whites and 1g (1/4 tsp) cream of tartar on medium mixer speed for 1 minute until frothy with large bubbles. Gradually add the remaining 75g (6 tbsp) granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, then increase mixer speed to high and beat for 2-3 minutes until stiff, glossy peaks form that hold their shape straight up when the whisk attachment is lifted.
Bake golden sponges
Gently fold 1/3 of the whipped meringue into the cake batter to lighten its dense texture, then carefully fold in the remaining meringue in two batches, using slow, sweeping motions to avoid deflating air bubbles. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pan cavities, filling each 2/3 full (approximately 30g of batter per cavity). Bake for 11-12 minutes at 175°C (350°F) until the cake tops are light golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean with no wet batter attached. Let cakes rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Make vanilla filling
While cakes cool, prepare the classic marshmallow filling: beat 113g (1/2 cup) softened room-temperature unsalted butter in a medium bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes until completely smooth and pale, with no lumps. Add 213g marshmallow fluff, 120g sifted powdered sugar, 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract, and 30ml (2 tbsp) heavy whipping cream. Mix on low speed for 1 minute to combine ingredients without creating a sugar dust cloud, then increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 additional minutes until the filling is light, fluffy, and perfectly smooth.
Fill cooled Twinkies
Scoop the finished filling into a piping bag fitted with a small round long Bismarck (filling) tip. Flip each cooled sponge cake so its flat bottom side faces up, and poke 3 evenly spaced holes into the cake, inserting the piping tip 2cm deep into each hole. Pipe 10-12g of filling into each hole, stopping just before filling begins to ooze out, to ensure the center is evenly filled without overflow. Wipe any small smudges of excess filling from the cake surface before serving.
Tips
2.Do not overmix the batter once you fold in the whipped meringue; overmixing pops the delicate air bubbles that give the cake its light, fluffy texture, leading to tough, dense sponges.
3.Wait until cakes are fully cooled to room temperature before adding filling; warm cakes will melt the marshmallow butter filling, causing it to run out of the holes and create a soggy cake texture.
OMG, these taste EXACTLY like the Twinkies I grew up eating! I was worried the creamy filling would be too runny but it set perfectly after chilling for a bit. My kids devoured half the batch within 10 minutes of me pulling them out — total game changer for after school snacks! Took me a little longer than the stated cook time because my oven runs hot, but so worth it.
Medium difficulty is no joke, y’all — I messed up the sponge cake on my first try because I overfolded the egg whites and it came out dense. Second go around was perfect though! The vanilla filling is so fluffy and not cloyingly sweet like the store bought version. Brought these to a neighborhood potluck and everyone asked for the recipe.
SO good! I added a tiny splash of almond extract to the filling and it gave it such a nice warm depth of flavor. These held up great for 3 days in an airtight container on my counter, which made meal prep for the week’s snacks so easy. Will absolutely be making these again for my kid’s next soccer team snack day.
Has anyone tried making these with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend? I’m dying to make them for my partner who has celiac but I don’t wanna waste ingredients if the texture comes out weird!
I’ve been chasing that classic lunchbox Twinkie taste for years and this recipe NAILED it. The sponge is so soft and pillowy, the filling doesn’t ooze out everywhere when you take a bite, and it doesn’t have that weird chemical aftertaste the store bought ones have. Only note: make sure you give yourself enough time for the cooling step! I tried rushing it and the filling melted a little when I piped it in.