If you grew up loving Hostess Ho Hos, this cake is going to bring back all the memories—only better. This Ho Ho Cake has a light, moist chocolate base, a not-too-sweet creamy filling, and a silky whipped ganache on top. It tastes just like the snack cake version but richer, fluffier, and homemade with love.
You won’t believe how easy it is to make this from scratch in your own kitchen!
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🍫 What Is Ho Ho Cake?
A Homemade Twist on a Classic Treat
Picture a classic Ho Ho—rolled chocolate cake, sweet filling, and chocolate glaze. Now imagine it as a layered 9×13 cake with rich, fluffy layers you can slice into squares. That’s what you get with this Ho Ho Cake. The cake layer feels soft and springy, the filling is light but creamy, and the ganache melts in your mouth.
🧁 Ingredients You’ll Need
Chocolate Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup canola oil or any neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
Cream Filling:
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup half & half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Whipped Ganache:
- 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
👩🍳 How to Make Ho Ho Cake
Step 1: Bake the Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and set it aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir in the water, oil, and vinegar until the batter looks smooth and combined.
Pour the batter into the greased 9 x 13 pan and bake for 35–40 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center—if it comes out with just a few moist crumbs, it’s done. Set the cake aside to cool completely.
Step 2: Make the Cream Filling
While the cake bakes, whisk the flour and half & half together in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens (about 3–4 minutes). Remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let it cool completely.
In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together for 3 minutes. Add the cooled flour mixture and whip it all together for 7 minutes until fluffy and smooth. Spread the filling evenly over the cooled cake.
Step 3: Make the Ganache
Warm the heavy cream in a saucepan until it just starts to simmer (do not boil). Pour it over the chocolate chips in a heat-safe bowl. Let it sit for 2–3 minutes, then stir until smooth and shiny.
Let the ganache cool for 30 minutes. For a whipped texture, beat it with a mixer for 2–3 minutes. Spread over the cream filling.
🧊 Storage
How to Store Ho Ho Cake
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- If making ahead, bake the cake and prep the filling a day early, then assemble before serving.
- Freezing isn’t recommended once the cream and ganache have been added, as the texture won’t hold up well after thawing.
💡 A Few Tips
- Don’t rush the mixing step for the cream layer. Whipping it for 7 minutes gives it that light, whipped texture.
- Let both the cake and filling mixture cool completely before layering—this prevents melting or sliding.
- Want a shinier look? Skip whipping the ganache and pour it directly over the filling.
- It stores beautifully in the fridge for several days.
- Prefer a darker chocolate flavor? Swap in dark chocolate chips for the ganache.
- This cake tastes even better the next day, once all the layers have had time to settle together.
- The creamy filling makes an amazing whoopie pie filling or cupcake filling—just saying!
🎂 Final Thoughts
There’s something about this cake that makes it impossible to stop at one bite. The homemade layers give you all the nostalgia of a Ho Ho snack cake but in a dessert that feels fresh and elevated. If you love chocolate cake, creamy fillings, or just want to make something fun for a gathering, this cake checks all the boxes.
Ho Ho Cake (But So Much Better!)
Ingredients
For The Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup oil
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
For The Cream Filling
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup half & half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
For The Whipped Ganache
- 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Make the cake batter: In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir in water, oil, and vinegar until smooth.
- Bake: Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool completely.
- Prepare the cream filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk flour and half & half over medium heat until thickened (3–4 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool completely.
- Whip the filling: In a separate bowl, beat softened butter and sugar for 3 minutes. Add cooled flour mixture and beat until fluffy (about 7 minutes). Spread over cooled cake.
- Make the ganache: Heat heavy cream in a saucepan until it just begins to simmer. Pour over chocolate chips in a bowl. Let sit for 2–3 minutes, then stir until smooth.
- Whip the ganache (optional): Let ganache cool for 30 minutes, then whip for 2–3 minutes until light and airy. Spread over the cream layer.