Despite some tall tales, Hostess Twinkies do not last forever. The box of Twinkies that my friends gave me as a gag gift were, in fact, hard as a rock in less than a year. These cream-filled chiffon cake snacks, made with real, unprocessed dairy and eggs and whole-grain flours, won’t last nearly as long as preservative-laden Twinkies, but you will almost certainly gobble them up in no time at all.
¾ cup (90 grams) white spelt or all-purpose flour
¼ cup (30 grams) ground millet or cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 egg whites
⅓ cup (66 grams) cane sugar
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup (2 ounces) water
2 tablespoons safflower oil
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 batch (about 1 cup) Snack Cake Crème (this page)
Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a canoe-style snack cake pan. If you don’t have a snack cake pan, you can use 4-ounce loaf pans. Alternatively, create your own molds out of foil by shaping double thicknesses of aluminum foil around a spice bottle and setting the individual foil pieces next to each other in a cake pan.
Sift the spelt flour, ground millet flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
In a dry mixer bowl with dry beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff, about 2 minutes. Transfer the beaten egg whites to a clean bowl and set aside.
In the same mixer bowl, add the sugar, honey, water, oil, egg yolks, and vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Fold in half of the beaten egg whites; once the first half is fully incorporated, fold in the second half.
Pour the batter into the prepared molds, filling them ⅔ of the way full. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Cool the cakes in the pan for at least 20 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely before filling with the Snack Cake Crème.
To fill the cakes, use a skewer or chopstick to poke 2 holes partially through the snack cake from the bottom, and wiggle around to hollow out some space. Use a piping bag fitted with a Bismarck (#230) tip or a very small star-shaped tip to fill the cake with the Snack Cake Crème.
To make raspberry snack cakes, make the snack cakes as directed. Coat each filled snack cake with raspberry jam and dust with shredded coconut. They will be sticky and delicious.
Or for Chocolate-Coated Snack Cakes, try dipping your snack cakes in melted chocolate.
For gluten-free Vanilla Snack Cakes, replace the white spelt flour with an equal amount of gluten-free all-purpose baking mix.
Traditional snack cakes rely on whipped egg whites for their springy lightness. These vegan sponge cakes are still fluffy, but skip the animal ingredients. To make a chocolate version, simply add ½ cup cocoa powder and an additional ¼ teaspoon baking soda to the flour mixture, and an extra 1 tablespoon of water to the wet ingredients.
1 cup (120 grams) white spelt or all-purpose flour
½ cup (60 grams) ground millet or cake flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca starch
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground chia or flaxseed
2 tablespoons flaxseed oil
¼ cup (2 ounces) hot water
¾ cup (130 grams) cane sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) almond or soy milk
¼ cup (2 ounces) safflower oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 batch (about 1 cup) vegan Snack Cake Crème (this page)
Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a canoe-style snack cake pan. If you don’t have a snack cake pan, you can use 4-ounce loaf pans. Or, create your own molds out of foil by shaping double thicknesses of aluminum foil around a spice bottle and setting the individual foil pieces next to each other in a cake pan.
Sift the spelt flour, ground millet flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.
Stir together the chia meal, flaxseed oil, and hot water in the bowl of a mixer. Add the sugar and beat for 1 minute. Stir in the almond milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared molds. Bake until lightly browned around the edges, 22 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans after 15 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely in the pan before removing them.
To fill the cakes, use a skewer or chopstick to poke 2 holes partially through the snack cake from the bottom, and wiggle around to hollow out some space. Use a piping bag fitted with a Bismarck (#230) tip or a very small star-shaped tip to fill the cake with the Snack Cake Crème.
Whether you call them Ring Dings or Ding Dongs, these chocolate snack cakes may just win the award for snack cake with the silliest name. Still, these chocolate hockey pucks are one of my favorite junk food sweets. Adding teff flour to the flour mix increases the complexity of the flavor, making these cakes deserving of a far less silly name.
½ cup (60 grams) white spelt or white whole-wheat flour
¼ cup (30 grams) teff or whole-wheat flour
½ cup (50 grams) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
4 egg whites
⅓ cup (66 grams) coconut or cane sugar
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup (2 ounces) water
2 tablespoons safflower oil
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 batch (about 1 cup) Snack Cake Crème (this page)
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, tempered or melted
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 9-by-9-inch cake pan with parchment and set aside.
Sift the white spelt flour, teff flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.
In a dry mixer bowl with dry beaters, beat the egg whites until very stiff, about 1 minute. Transfer the beaten egg whites to a clean bowl and set aside.
In the same mixer bowl, add the sugar, honey, water, oil, egg yolks, and vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Fold in half of the beaten egg whites; once the first half is fully incorporated, fold in the second half.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake springs back slightly when touched and a skewer inserted comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes before inverting it onto a flat surface and peeling off the parchment. Let the cake cool completely.
With a cookie cutter, cut out 3-inch-diameter rounds. To fill the cakes, use a piping bag fitted with a Bismarck (#230) tip or a very small star-shaped tip to inject each snack cake from the bottom with 3 evenly spaced squirts of Snack Cake Crème.
Place the filled cakes onto baking sheets and freeze for about 15 minutes.
While the cakes are freezing, place a piece of waxed paper onto the counter or a baking sheet. Temper the chocolate, and place it in a bowl next to the waxed paper. Dip each chilled cake into the chocolate to coat and let set on the waxed paper until firm.
For gluten-free Chocolate Snack Cakes, replace the white spelt flour with an equal amount of gluten-free all-purpose baking mix.
For vegan Chocolate Snack Cakes, see the chocolate version of the Vegan Vanilla Snack Cakes (this page).
While any homemade cupcake is a pretty good cupcake, there’s just something about those cream-filled, chocolate-frosted ones from Hostess that makes people happy. These tender, chocolaty cakes are just as delicious, but without the high-fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.
½ cup (60 grams) white spelt or white whole-wheat flour
¼ cup (30 grams) teff or whole-wheat flour
½ cup (50 grams) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
4 egg whites
⅓ cup (66 grams) muscavado or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons safflower oil
4 egg yolks
3 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
½ cup (4 ounces) heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 batch (about 1 cup) Snack Cake Crème (this page)
1 batch (about ½ cup) White Icing (this page)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with baking papers and set aside.
Sift the white spelt flour, teff flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.
In a dry mixer bowl with dry beaters, beat the egg whites until very stiff, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the beaten egg whites to a clean bowl and set aside.
In the same mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, add the sugar, honey, water, oil, egg yolks, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Fold in half of the beaten egg whites; once the first half is fully incorporated, fold in the second half.
Fill each muffin cup ⅔ of the way full. Bake until the cake springs back slightly when touched and a skewer inserted comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.
While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a heavy pot, heat the heavy cream and butter until the butter melts and the cream is slightly steaming. Remove the pot from the heat and add the chocolate. Do not stir; let the mixture stand for 5 minutes. Then whisk in the remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla and continue whisking until smooth. Let the frosting cool to room temperature.
Once the cupcakes and frosting have cooled, use a small knife to remove a 1-inch-deep pyramid from the top of each cupcake. Cut the tip off of each pyramid. Fill each cupcake with a dollop of Snack Cake Crème and then replace the tops of the cupcakes. Spread each cupcake with the chocolate frosting. For the classic Hostess look, pipe little loop-de-loops on the top with White Icing.
For gluten-free Chocolate Cupcakes, replace the white spelt flour with an equal amount of gluten-free all-purpose baking mix.
For vegan Chocolate Cupcakes, use the Vegan Chocolate Snack Cakes recipe variation (this page) and fill as directed. To make vegan chocolate frosting, replace the butter with an equal amount of coconut oil and the cream with an equal amount of coconut milk.
Donettes are tiny little rounds of deliciousness that really don’t bear that much resemblance to bakery doughnuts but are somehow still satisfying. You can make your own in a flash with the aid of a mini doughnut pan. While it may seem strange, the addition of rye and barley flours into the batter makes for an exceptionally flavorful treat. To make Chocolate Mini Cake Doughnuts, simply add two tablespoons of cocoa powder to the flour mixture.
½ cup (60 grams) white spelt or all-purpose flour
¼ cup (30 grams) rye flour or whole-wheat flour
¼ cup (30 grams) barley flour or all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅓ cup (66 grams) cane sugar
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
⅓ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
Semisweet chocolate, tempered or melted, or powdered sugar, for coating
Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a mini doughnut pan.
Sift the white spelt, rye, barley, and baking powder together. Whisk in the sugar, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, milk, vanilla, and egg. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix or your doughnuts may be rubbery.
Fill each doughnut cup ½ to ¾ of the way full with the batter. You can do this with a spoon, but I prefer using a piping bag to fill each cup evenly and cleanly. It’s important not to overfill or as the doughnuts rise, you’ll lose the hole. Bake until the doughnuts spring back when touched, 6 to 10 minutes depending on the size of your doughnut pan. Let cool completely on a wire rack; then dip in melted chocolate or dust with powdered sugar.
For gluten-free Mini Cake Doughnuts, replace all the flours with an equal weight of gluten-free all-purpose baking mix.
For vegan Mini Cake Doughnuts, replace the butter with an equal amount of coconut oil; the milk with an equal amount of soy or almond milk; and the egg with ¼ cup silken tofu.
For me, the perfect brownie is equal parts crusty and fudgy. These one-bite brownies, made in a mini muffin tin, fit that bill perfectly.
⅓ cup (45 grams) teff or whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon instant espresso dissolved in 1 teaspoon warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅓ cup (66 grams) muscavado or brown sugar
1 large egg
½ cup (70 grams) toasted nuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a mini muffin tin.
Sift the teff flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a simmer. Place the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over the simmering water and stir to melt. If you prefer, you can melt the chocolate in the microwave; using 50 percent power, heat the butter and chocolate, stopping to stir every 30 seconds, until they are melted. Set aside.
With the mixer on low speed, stir together the espresso, vanilla, and sugar. Add the egg and mix until combined. Stream in the chocolate mixture and mix until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth and slightly thickened, at least 1 minute. Stir in the nuts, if you are using them.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Bake until just set, 10 to 12 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack and cool the brownies completely before serving.
For vegan One-Bite Brownies, replace the butter with an equal amount of coconut oil and the egg with ¼ cup of silken tofu.
These cinnamon rolls are quick to make and far more pleasing than the ones that come in a can. By using a quick bread instead of a yeast dough, you can be eating these tender, cinnamony sweets in less than an hour.
½ cup (60 grams) whole-wheat pastry flour
¾ cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (120 grams) ricotta
¼ cup (2 ounces) buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons (48 grams) muscavado or brown sugar, divided
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened, divided
1 scant teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup pecans, finely chopped (optional)
¼ cup Glaze (optional) (this page)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch square cake pan with baking spray and set aside.
Sift the whole-wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a small bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the ricotta, buttermilk, vanilla, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times to form a smooth dough. If the dough is sticky, knead in a bit more flour. Roll the dough out to a 6-by-8-inch rectangle about ¼ inch thick and brush with 1½ tablespoons of the remaining butter.
Mix the remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon and pecans, if you are using them. Sprinkle evenly onto the dough, reserving about 1 tablespoon. Starting at a short end, roll the dough into a log and pinch the seam to seal. Trim the ends and slice into 6 even pieces. Place them, cut side up, into the prepared cake pan with their sides just touching.
Brush the tops and sides of each roll with the remaining ½ tablespoon butter. Sprinkle the tops with the reserved sugar mixture. Bake until the edges are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving, and drizzle with Glaze (this page) if desired.
For gluten-free Cinnamon Rolls, replace the whole-wheat and all-purpose flours with an equal amount of gluten-free all-purpose baking mix.
For vegan Cinnamon Rolls, replace the buttermilk with an equal amount of coconut milk; the ricotta with ⅓ cup soft tofu; and the butter with an equal amount of margarine or coconut oil.
This recipe, adapted from the one on the King Arthur Flour website, is far more interesting than the slightly stale foil-wrapped tarts we all grew up with. My own personal preference for filling is blueberry, but you can fill these with just about any jam or spreadable filling you like.
⅔ cup (80 grams) whole-wheat pastry flour
⅔ cup (80 grams) all-purpose flour
⅔ cup (80 grams) ground millet or sweet rice flour
1 tablespoon cane sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
8 to 16 tablespoons ice water, divided
1 large egg
8 tablespoons jam or other spreadable filling
¼ cup Glaze (optional) (this page)
Whisk the whole-wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, ground millet flour, sugar, and salt together. Work in the butter with your fingers until there are pecan-sized lumps of butter still visible and the mixture holds together when you squeeze it. Add 3 tablespoons of the water and mix with a fork until it is absorbed. Then add the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until a shaggy dough ball forms. You may not need all the water.
Shape the dough into a 4-by-6-inch rectangle, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface and cut it into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rectangle about ⅛ inch thick. Trim off the edges to create even rectangles.
Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the egg wash over one piece of the dough. Imagine the dough divided into quarters and place 1 heaping teaspoon of jam in the center of each quarter. Top with another rolled-out piece of dough and press gently to seal around each of the filling pockets. Repeat with the remaining 2 pieces of dough. Reserve the remaining egg wash.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Carefully cut each dough packet into quarters and use a fork to pinch the edges. Place the tarts on the prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Brush the chilled tarts with the remaining egg wash and, using a fork, prick vent holes in the top of each tart. Bake the tarts until they are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly before serving, and spread with Glaze (this page) if desired.
For gluten-free Toaster Tarts, replace the whole-wheat pastry and all-purpose flours with an equal amount of gluten-free all-purpose baking mix.
For vegan Toaster Tarts, replace the butter with an equal amount of coconut oil. Instead of the egg wash, brush the tarts with non-dairy milk.
