A dessert made with Twinkies?! You have to try this Easy Twinkie Cake! It’s a no-bake dessert from the 80’s that gets rave reviews.
Now this is a fun dessert! Similar to Ding Dong Cake, this Easy 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. My husband and neighbors went wild over this cake! I love it making it in the summer especially. It’s a delicious treat on a warm day.
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Five Ingredients. So easy!
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. That sounds like a snack for the chef! 🙂
- 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 this easy 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 and a few readers had some 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)
- Add a layer of sliced bananas and a small can of drained crushed pineapple between the pudding and whipped topping.
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. Pistachio Cake with Pudding Mix is another nostalgic favorite!
📖 Recipe
Easy 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!