Homemade Twinkies – Easy Baked Dessert Recipe Everyone Loves

Let’s talk about snack cakes—the kind that live on gas station shelves and survive road trips without blinking. I’ve never exactly pledged allegiance to them. In fact, I’ve mostly ignored them. And yet… here we are. Because these Homemade Twinkies? They win. Every. Single. Time.

This recipe is my playful riff on the classic Hostess version, but with actual flavor and zero mystery ingredients. I start with a tender yellow sponge cake—light, moist, and rich in that way that makes you pause mid-bite. No special pan? No problem. A little creative tin-foil folding coaxes the batter into that familiar oblong shape. Kitchen MacGyver moment. Baking Sweets should be fun, right?

Then comes the filling. Oh, the filling. I whip up a seven-minute frosting that’s airy, glossy, and unapologetically sweet. Think marshmallow cloud meets meringue magic. And I don’t politely spoon it in. I cram as much as humanly possible into each cake without triggering a cream eruption. It’s a delicate balance. Totally worth it.

Here’s the twist: I don’t even like packaged Twinkies. Never have. But these? Warm from the oven, with that fluffy center melting into the sponge? Game over. You’ll never get that from a plastic wrapper, FYI.

They fit right in with my favorite Easy Baking Recipes Desserts lineup—alongside classic Donut Recipes, rustic Boulangerie-inspired treats, and other Baked Dessert Recipes that actually taste homemade. IMO, they’re also one of the most fun Homemade Snacks to whip up when you want something nostalgic but better.

So whether you’re diving into Easy Baking Recipes for the first time or hunting for Interesting Food Recipes to shake things up, these Homemade Twinkies deserve a spot in your oven. Who knew a snack cake glow-up could taste this good?

Homemade Twinkies – Easy Baked Dessert Recipe Everyone Loves

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Yield: 12 snack cakes

Calories: 144 per cake

Prep Time: 50 minutes

Bake Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Recipe by: Alma

Rating: ★★★★★ (4.8 from 16 reviews)

Ingredients

• Nonstick spray or vegetable oil for greasing
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Seven-Minute Filling or fluffy white frosting

Directions

1. Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and position a rack slightly below the center.
2. To create homemade molds, tear off a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil about 14 inches long. Fold it lengthwise, then fold again to form a sturdy rectangle roughly 6 by 7 inches. Repeat this process until you have 12 pieces.
3. Lay one folded sheet on the counter with the longer edge facing you. Place a standard spice jar on its side across the center. Wrap the foil up and around the jar, shaping it into a shallow trough. Fold the foil snugly at both ends to hold its shape. Slide the jar out and repeat with the remaining foil pieces. Generously coat the inside of each mold with nonstick spray or brush with oil. Arrange the molds on a baking sheet.
4. In a bowl, stir together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
5. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the milk and butter together just until the butter melts. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and cover to keep the mixture warm.
6. Separate the eggs. Place the whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, keeping the yolks in a separate bowl. Beat the egg whites on high speed until frothy. Slowly add 6 tablespoons of the sugar along with the cream of tartar. Continue whipping until soft peaks form that gently curl over. Transfer the whipped whites to a large bowl.
7. Without washing the mixer bowl, add the egg yolks and the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes thick, pale, and creamy, about 5 minutes. Spoon the whipped egg whites over the yolk mixture but do not stir yet.
8. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the eggs. Mix briefly on low speed for about 10 seconds, just until partially combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Pour the warm milk and butter mixture into a small well in the batter. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold everything together with light strokes until no streaks of flour remain and the batter looks smooth and airy.
9. Quickly divide the batter among the prepared molds, filling each about three-quarters of an inch deep. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and spring back when pressed. Let the cakes cool completely in their foil molds on a wire rack.
10. Once cooled, carefully peel away the foil. Using the blunt end of a chopstick, poke three holes into the bottom of each cake. Move the chopstick around slightly inside each hole to create space for the filling.
11. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Insert the tip into each hole and squeeze gently to fill the cakes. Hold each cake in your hand while piping so you can feel it expand slightly, being careful not to overfill and cause cracking.
12. These homemade snack cakes are best enjoyed the same day, preferably while still a little warm and soft.

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