Ding Dong Chocolate Cake (Printer-Friendly)

Moist chocolate cake with light creamy filling and smooth chocolate ganache topping for a rich dessert.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chocolate Base

01 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
02 - ¾ cup whole milk
03 - ½ cup sour cream
04 - 1 cup cake flour
05 - ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
06 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
07 - ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
08 - 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
09 - ½ cup vegetable oil
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - 2 large eggs
12 - ½ cup all-purpose flour

→ Cream Filling

13 - ¾ cup whole milk
14 - 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
15 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
16 - ¼ cup vegetable shortening
17 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
18 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Ganache Topping

19 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
20 - ½ cup heavy cream

# Steps to Make This:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with baking spray. Place chocolate chips in a bowl. Heat milk to 180-190°F and pour over chocolate chips. Let sit 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Stir in sour cream until fully combined. Set aside.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat brown sugar and vegetable oil until combined. Add vanilla extract and eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated.
04 - Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until combined. Add half of the chocolate and sour cream mixture and combine. Repeat with remaining dry and wet ingredients until batter is smooth.
05 - Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake on the middle oven rack for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
06 - Whisk milk and flour in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened into a paste. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
07 - In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening until combined. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix well. Stir in cooled milk-flour paste and vanilla extract. Whip on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until fluffy and smooth.
08 - Spread the cream filling evenly over the cooled cake. Refrigerate while preparing ganache.
09 - Warm heavy cream to 180-190°F and pour over chocolate chips in a bowl. Let sit 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Cool slightly for 10 minutes.
10 - Pour ganache over cream-covered cake, smoothing the surface. Refrigerate uncovered for 45 minutes to set. Slice and serve.

# Additional Notes:

01 - Use vegetable shortening in the cream filling for a lighter, fluffier texture. Butter-only variation may be denser.
02 - Homemade ganache yields best flavor but store-bought chocolate frosting warmed can be substituted.
03 - Allow cake to chill for at least 45 minutes for proper set before slicing.
04 - Store leftovers covered in refrigerator up to 6 days; freeze slices individually wrapped for up to 3 months.

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