Twinkie Cake
Love Twinkies? You have to try this 1980’s classic: Twinkie Cake! It’s an easy, no-bake dessert that gets rave reviews.
Now this is a fun dessert! Similar to Ding Dong Cake, Twinkie Cake is a spin on a popular Hostess confection.
It starts with (what else?): a whole box of Twinkies. Well, almost a whole box. There’s one Twinkie that doesn’t fit in the pan. Lucky you!
It’s cool and creamy, easy to make, and no-bake. I love this one for summer.
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Ingredients
Please visit the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions!
- You’ll need 9 Twinkies for this recipe. They come in boxes of 10. Do with that what you will.
- Make sure the box says instant pudding (not cook & serve).
- Don’t try this with a milk alternative. The pudding won’t set up, sadly. Any type of cow’s milk works great.
How to make Twinkie Cake
This 4-layer cake couldn’t be more simple. Just layer everything, refrigerate, and enjoy!
Here’s a quick photo tutorial of how I made the cake:
Then you’ll just need to refrigerate the cake for a few hours (two at least) for everything to firm up.
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Variations on Twinkie Cake
The 1980’s church cookbook where I found this recipe had two variation ideas:
- Use a different flavor of instant pudding (chocolate, cheesecake, etc.)
- Instead of coconut, top the cake with chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts)
In more recent developments, they now make Chocolate Twinkies and Banana Twinkies. Either of those would be fun to change it up. I love the idea of a chocolate Twinkie cake with chopped pecans on top. Yum!
If you like nostalgic desserts, don’t miss my homemade Strawberry Crunch. It’s the topping from the outside of a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar, and it’s delightful sprinkled on top of cakes and ice cream!
More classic no-bake desserts you’ll love
- Chocolate Eclair Cake (cool and creamy, just like Twinkie Cake)
- No-Bake Raspberry Pie
- No-Cook Banana Pudding
- Banana Split Cake (this one is in SO many old church cookbooks)
- Peanut Butter Pie (one of my husband’s favorites!)
📖 Recipe
Twinkie Cake
Ingredients
- 9 Twinkies (one box)
- 2 (3.4 oz) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3 cups milk
- 8 ounces whipped topping (such as Cool Whip, thawed)
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
Instructions
- Slice Twinkies in half lengthwise.
- Place the Twinkies, cut side up, in a 13×9-inch pan. You’ll have three rows of six.
- Place the pudding mixes and milk in a large bowl. Beat until smooth with a whisk. Pour over the Twinkies (do this fairly quickly, as the pudding will start to firm up).
- Carefully spread whipped topping over the top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm.
- Sprinkle with chopped coconut.
My husband LOVED this cake!