Twinkies are an iconic American snack cake. They’ve honestly never been available here in Denmark, but I tried them. They seem very factory-like, but I like the idea of a delicious cake with a fluffy marshmallow filling, so I decided to make my own in the style of a bundt cake. In true American fashion, it’s of course, super-sized compared to the original twinkie. Here is my Twinkie Bundt Recipe.
The Twinkie backstory
Twinkies were invented by a man named James Dewar in 1930 and were originally filled with banana cream. During the second world war, bananas were rationed, so a switch was made to vanilla filling, which proved to be very popular.
Twinkies have a long list of credits in popular culture. A favorite of mine is Sergeant Al Powell in the most iconic Christmas movie of all time: Die Hard. He really loves Twinkies. WALL-E and Ghostbusters also have great references. “That’s a big Twinkie.“
There’s even a judicial concept called “The Twinkie Defense,” meaning an improbable legal defense. It stems from the press coverage of the Harvey Milk assassination trial. It was argued that the defendant had been at “diminished capacity” because of his unhealthy diet.
If you are just here for the recipe, you can press the button underneath to be automagically transported to the recipe:
I wonder if that is a job? “Yeah, I milk beaver glands for fake vanilla extract.”
The filling is made from a Swiss meringue that is stabilized by a little bit of gelatin. I found that if you didn’t put that in, the filling would leak out when you cut the cake, which didn’t seem so nice.
Two sheets of gelatin made almost a stable marshmallow, but one sheet was perfect. Stable but still nice and fluffy. Foodgeek is always experimenting for the good of… awesome cakes!
American palette vs. European palette in this Twinkie Bundt Recipe
This is a very sweet cake, and that is what a Twinkie is. I know there is a big difference between what Europeans expect from a dessert and what Americans expect from a dessert.
If you feel like this may be a little too much sweet for you, I’d recommend putting in a bit of a tart black currant jam in the bottom of the cavity before putting in the filling.
It pairs absolutely awesomely with the fluffy filling.
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This is my recipe for a Twinkie-inspired Bundt Cake. I hope you will try it. If you make it and post it on Instagram, please tag me as @foodgeek.dk so I can see your creations. That will make me happy.
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Twinkie Bundt Cake
Course: Baked Goods, Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bundt, cake, dessert, twinkies
Course: Baked Goods, Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bundt, cake, dessert, twinkies
Servings: 12pieces of cake
Author: Sune Trudslev
Nutrition Facts
Twinkie Bundt Cake
Amount Per Serving (1 piece of cake)
Calories 448Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Sodium 384mg17%
Carbohydrates 67g22%
Sugar 46g51%
Protein 6g12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Twinkies are iconic snack cakes from the United States. This recipe makes a bundt cake inspired by Twinkies with a delicious soft yellow cake and a gorgeous glossy marshmallow filling.
Take the ingredients for the cake out of the fridge. Let them come up to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. I use fan-assisted.
Grease your bundt pan liberally. I like to use an oil-based spray, but it works even better if you get a baking spray with flour.
Using a sieve, sprinkle the bundt pan with lots of flour; coat it adequately to release the cake without problems.
Turn the pan upside down and tap it to remove excess flour.
Making the batter
Add sugar and butter in cubes to the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, cream the butter until pale and fluffy.
While the mixer is running on medium speed, add the eggs one by one, pausing to ensure each is incorporated before adding the next. Stop the mixer and sprinkle baking powder and table salt over the top of the dough. Run the mixer to combine; while mixing, add vanilla extract.
Then add ⅓ of the flour. Mix until combined. 10-15 seconds. Add ½ of the milk. Mix until combined.
Add another ⅓ of the flour. Mix until combined. Add the last of the milk and mix until combined. Add the last of the flour and mix until combined.
Dollop the batter into the bundt pan. Try to get it in as evenly as possible. Use a wet spatula to even the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out cleanly.
Remove from the oven and cool on a write rack for 15 minutes. Put the wire rack on top of the pan, invert it, and let the cake come out naturally. Cool completely before proceeding.
Preparing the cake for the filling
Soften your gelatin sheet in a lot of water. If you use powdered gelatin, dissolve ⅓ tsp into 1 tbsp of water. Leave to bloom for 10 minutes.
Using a paring knife, you need to make a cavity in the cake. Cut near the outer perimeter of the cake with the knife slanting inwards at about a 45° angle. Then cut the inner edge with the blade leaning outwards at a 45° angle. See the video for details.
Remove the cake from the cavity with your fingers. If any of it slips into your mouth at this point, that's acceptable 😉 Then use a tablespoon to make the cavity rounded. Make sure you tap out excess crumbs when you are finished.
Making the filling
In a heat-proof bowl, combine egg whites, powdered sugar, and lemon juice. Put the bowl over a pot of simmering water. The water should not be touching the bowl.
While whisking, heat the mixture to 80°C/175°F. Once it hits the temperature, take it off the heat. Wring out your gelatin sheet and add it to the warm mixture. Stir until completely dissolved.
Add the mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, turn the speed up gradually until whisking at full speed.
Whisk until you have stiff peaks (10-15 minutes). Add the meringue to a piping bag, close it at the top, and cut a large hole.
Add the filling to the cake.
Put cake cardboard over the top of the cake and invert it onto the serving platter or cake stand.
Dust the cake with powdered sugar using a sieve, tapping it lightly on the side to make a beautiful coating.
