Strawberry Twinkie Cake
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My strawberry Twinkie Cake recipe makes a berry sweet dessert with a delicious whipped cream hiding in the center! And with fresh berries on top to keep things light and fruity, my version of this Twinkie dessert has a bit of childlike fun along with complex flavors us grownups love!
Twinkie Cake
Nothing’s more fun than turning a normal snack into something fun, tasty, and completely special!
Who would believe you can use boxed cake mix and pre-packaged snack cakes to make a dessert so fruity, creamy, and moist that it tastes like it came straight from the bakery?
It’s true! Plus, Twinkie cake is easy enough to make with the kiddos and you can switch up the fruit to suit any season.
It’s just like my colorful holiday Christmas Tree Cake Dip and cool, creamy Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream – two super easy, super yummy snacks with Lil Debbie snack cakes thrown into the mix!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Strawberry Cake Mix – Any brand is good to use! I don’t really have a preference to recommend, as long as it tastes like strawberries!
- Vegetable Oil – Butter is often used as a substitute for oil in cakes, but I don’t recommend it because the cake doesn’t end up as moist.
Any flavorless oil works, like canola oil and even olive oil.
Want to know a real secret? Mayonnaise and applesauce both work as substitutes too! - Twinkies – This one goes without saying! You might even call it the original snack cake. Super spongy, sweet, and golden.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – Keep this ingredient chilled to make the frosting as creamy and luscious as possible!
Half and half or milk will both help the icing come together, but it’ll be a lot thinner. - Whipped Cream – When it’s this easy to make a silky whipped topping at home, why would you ever buy it??
Tips for a Moist, Magnificent Twinkie Dessert
- Add more egg yolks than whites for a really decadent Twinkie dessert!
In eggs, the yolks are where the fat is. So to make any desserts really, really moist and indulgent, add an additional egg yolk to the batter!
Two yolks can take the place of one whole egg, so maybe go with one whole egg and two egg yolks if you want to try this tip.
- Slide some strawberries into the center.
Make this very berry from the bottom to the top by placing a few in the center layer with the Twinkies!
Try to slice them thin and uniform–the snack cakes are already thick and take up a lot of space.
- Use a flavored whipped cream.
One of the really wonderful things about making a homemade whipped cream is that you can add any flavor you’d like!
Chocolate, vanilla, and (of course) strawberry are all fabulous on top of strawberry Twinkie cake. Other berries like blueberry and raspberry would be great too!
Storing, Freezing, and Serving
Because of the dairy-heavy frosting, this Twinkie dessert can’t be stored at room temperature. Store it covered in the fridge for up to a week.
If preparing ahead of time, wait to top with strawberries until serving to keep the top from getting soggy.
You can also freeze strawberry Twinkie cake for up to two months.
Either wrap it up with aluminum foil or plastic wrap nice and tight, or store individual slices to freeze for a snack or two at a time.
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Piping Bag with Large Open Star Tip to add dollops of whipped cream.
- Stand mixer or large mixing bowl with hand mixer for whipping up the batter and the buttercream.
- 9×13 Baking Dish – This set is one of my favorites! It comes with a lid for easy storage and is great for casseroles too.
Twinkie Cake FAQ
Absolutely! You can cut down on a couple of minutes by using a tubbed whipped topping.
I’d steer away from the aerosol whipped creams, though. They’re not as sturdy and don’t hold up to the berries as well!
It’s a cake made with Twinkies! They come in a couple different forms. No bake desserts or trifles with puddings and fresh fruit are really popular too.
You sure can. Strawberry Twinkie cake can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to two months.
If you’re making it in advance, then make the whipped cream and add the strawberries just before serving to keep them fresh and light!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Easy Summer Cake Recipes
Strawberry Twinkie Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 ounce Strawberry cake mix
- 1 cup water
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 box of Twinkies, unwrapped
Strawberry Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced small
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 – 5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup whipped cream
- Fresh sliced strawberries, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, eggs and vegetable. Beat with an electric mixer until completely combined and smooth.
- Pour half of the batter into the baking dish. Place the 8 unwrapped twinkies into the baking dish on top of the cake batter. Pour the remaining cake batter over the twinkies.
- Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely. Meanwhile prepare the strawberry frosting.
- Using a standing mixer, beat all ingredients together until combined and smooth.
- Spread the frosting smoothly onto the top of the cake.
- Scoop the whipped cream into the piping bag. Pipe dollops of whipped cream onto the cake.
- Top with fresh sliced strawberries.
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published June 2023
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This was amazing! Made it as a dessert for my brunch day with my friends. They all loved it! Definitely making again
I have not made it yet but I am willing to try only thing is why are the twinkies to be unwrapped the wrapping is still there chocking hazards are there right? When do the wrappers go?
oopps I am so sorry I read the recipe wrong my mistake. I am truly so sorry. Thank you so much.
Wow, this recipe was a breeze to make! The Strawberry Twinkie Cake turned out absolutely divine.
Hi Elizabeth!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed!!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn