Description
These homemade Twinkies vanilla cakes are a delightful treat, featuring soft, airy cake shells filled with a luscious vanilla meringue cream. Perfect for recreating the nostalgic snack at home, this recipe guides you through making the fluffy cake batter and the sweet, glossy filling for an authentic taste and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake:
- 250 grams cake flour, sifted
- 225 grams granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 120 millilitres whole milk
- 160 millilitres vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Filling:
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 135 grams granulated sugar
- 40 millilitres water
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 177°C (350°F). Generously spray Twinkie-shaped cake pans with non-stick baking spray to ensure easy release of the cakes.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the sifted cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined, providing a well-mixed base for your batter.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, whole milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract thoroughly to blend all liquids smoothly.
- Blend Batter: Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth and free of lumps, creating a light and airy batter perfect for baking.
- Fill Pans and Bake: Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, filling each cavity about two-thirds full. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, signaling the cakes are perfectly baked.
- Cool Cakes: Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pans before removing; this prevents breaking and prepares them for filling.
- Prepare Meringue Filling: Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form, creating the base for your creamy filling.
- Make Sugar Syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Stir over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Then increase the heat to bring the syrup to 119°C–121°C (245°F–250°F), essential for the perfect meringue texture.
- Combine Syrup and Egg Whites: With the mixer running on medium-high speed, slowly pour the hot syrup into the whipped egg whites. Continue beating on high until the meringue cools to room temperature and becomes thick and glossy.
- Fill Cakes: Fill a piping bag fitted with a #10 round tip with the prepared meringue. Turn the cooled cakes over and insert the tip into three evenly spaced points on the base of each cake. Pipe filling into the center and both ends, taking care not to overfill.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs for better emulsification and fluffier cake texture.
- Ensure the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature for safe and stable meringue consistency.
- If Twinkie-shaped pans are unavailable, use a similarly shaped small cake or loaf pans, adjusting baking time as needed.
- Do not overfill the cakes with meringue to prevent leakage during serving.
- Store filled Twinkies in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 2-3 days for optimal freshness.
