Homemade Twinkies
User Reviews
4.7
60 reviews
Excellent
Homemade Twinkies
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Homemade Twinkies are delicate sponge cakes baked in custom-made foil molds shaped to replicate the traditional Twinkie form. The batter combines cake and all-purpose flours, eggs, sugar, butter, milk, and baking powder, producing a light, tender cake exterior. The cakes are filled with a classic seven-minute-style filling, recreating the iconic creamy center of the snack cake.
Description
These Homemade Twinkies begin by preparing a batter using cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, milk, butter, vanilla extract, eggs, sugar, and cream of tartar. The batter is poured into foil molds shaped into the classic Twinkie form, made by wrapping aluminum foil tightly around a spice jar to create trough-like forms. Baking at 350°F on a lower rack position yields a spongy cake with a light crumb and gentle golden crust. After cooling, the cakes are filled with a fluffy seven-minute filling, mimicking the creamy interior of the commercial Twinkie. The process requires some preparation for the molds but results in tender, airy cakes filled with a smooth, sweet cream. These homemade treats provide a nostalgic experience with a fresh texture compared to store-bought versions.
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Ingredients
- vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray
- 1/2 cup cake flour
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons milk preferably whole
- 4 tablespoons (2 oz) butter unsalted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 large egg at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- seven-minute filling er, Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position.
- To make your shiny, single-use Twinkie molds, start with a piece of aluminum foil, preferably heavy-duty, that’s approximately 14 inches long. It should be just a little longer than it is wide. Fold the foil in half lengthwise, then fold it in half again to create a rectangle that’s about 6 inches long and 7 inches wide. Repeat to make a dozen rectangles.
- Place 1 sheet of folded foil on your work surface, with the long side facing you. Place a standard-size plastic or glass spice jar on its side in the center of the foil, the jar’s long side also facing you. Bring the long sides of the foil up around the jar. The foil won’t reach all the way around, and that’s okay. Fold the foil in around both top and bottom ends of the spice jar, nice and tight. You’ll end up with a sort of trough situation. (Cookbook author Todd Wilbur has a video of the process here; if you’re impatient, fast forward to 1:10, where the action starts.) Repeat until you have 12 foil Twinkie molds. Spritz the molds with an obscenely generous amount of nonstick spray or use your fingertips to coat the molds with vegetable oil. Place the Twinkie molds on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan.
- Whisk the flours, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, heat the milk and butter until the butter melts. Remove from the heat add the vanilla. Cover to keep warm.
- Separate the eggs, placing the whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or, if using a hand mixer or whisk, a large mixing bowl) and reserving the yolks in another bowl. Beat the whites on high speed until foamy. Gradually add 6 tablespoons of the sugar and the cream of tartar and continue to beat until the whites reach soft, moist peaks.
- Dump the beaten egg whites into a large bowl and add the egg yolks to the standing mixer bowl—there’s no need to clean the bowl (or, if using a hand mixer or whisk, simply place the egg yolks in a separate large bowl). Beat the egg yolks with the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is very thick and a pale lemon color, about 5 minutes. Add the beaten egg whites to the yolks, but do not mix.
- Sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg whites and then mix everything on low speed for just 10 seconds (or, if using a hand mixer or whisk, until blended but not thoroughly combined). Remove the bowl from the mixer, make a well in one side of the batter, and pour the melted butter mixture into the bowl. Fold gently with a large rubber spatula until the batter shows no trace of flour and the whites and yolks are evenly mixed, about 8 strokes.
- Immediately scrape the batter into the prepared molds, filling each with about 3/4 inch batter. Bake until the cake tops are light brown and feel firm and spring back when touched, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pan containing the molds to a wire rack and allow the cakes to cool in the molds.
- Just before filling, remove each cake from the foil. Using the end of a chopstick, poke three holes in the bottom of each cake, just like in the bottom of real Twinkies. Wiggle the tip of the chopstick around quite a lot to make room for the filling. (Again, you can see this in action, beginning at minute 3.)
- Scoop frosting into a pastry bag fit with a small tip about 1/4 inch across. Pipe the frosting into the holes you created in the bottom of the cakes. As you fill each cake, hold it in your palm and gently exert pressure on it so you can feel the cake expand, taking care not to overfill the cake, which would make it crack.
- Unlike real Twinkies, these won’t last indefinitely. They’re best served still slightly warm.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1portion
Calories
144kcal
(7%)
Carbohydrates
19g
(6%)
Protein
4g
(8%)
Fat
6g
(9%)
Saturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Monounsaturated Fat
2g
(10%)
Trans Fat
0.2g
(10%)
Cholesterol
88mg
(29%)
Sodium
80mg
(3%)
Fiber
0.2g
(1%)
Sugar
13g
(26%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12Twinkie look-alikes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 144 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1portion | |
| Calories | 144kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 19g | 6% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 0.2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 88mg | 29% |
| Sodium | 80mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 0.2g | 1% |
| Sugar | 13g | 26% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
60 reviews
Excellent
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