Ding Dong Mousse Food

DING DONG CAKE

Steps:

• Chop chocolate so no pieces are larger than a chocolate chip. Place chocolate in a medium bowl or a 2 cup measuring cup and pour hot coffee over chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes then stir, making sure all chocolate is melted and well combined with coffee. Set aside to cool.
• Sift all dry ingredients together-sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In the a large mixing bowl (or the mixing bowl of your stand mixer) beat eggs on medium speed until frothy.
• Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla and chocolate-coffee mixture to eggs, beating well to blend.
• Add in sugar/flour/cocoa mixture, one cup at a time, mixing just to combine after each addition.
• Pour batter into 2 9 inch cake pans that have been well greased and lined with parchment paper on the bottom.
• Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 45-50 minutes, using toothpick to test for doneness.
• Let cakes cool completely in pan. Using a plastic knife, run knife around edges to loosen before turning out onto rack or plate.
• Pour cold milk into a small saucepan. Before turning on the heat, whisk in flour so no lumps remain. Turn heat on to medium low, and stirring, heat until mixture is thick, like a roux. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and let cool completely.
• Cream together butter and sugar on medium high speed, until fluffy, about 8 minutes.
• Add in the milk mixture and beat again until mixture resembles a whipped cream.
• Place one layer of cake on an 8 inch cake circle, top side down. Cover with a thick layer of cream filling then place top layer of cake, top side down, on top of filling gently pressing down to secure layers. Place cake on a wire rack on top of a wax paper lined cookie sheet.
• Place chocolate chips in a large measuring cup.
• Heat cream and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until boiling, careful not to scorch.
• Pour heated cream over chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir chocolate to make sure completely melted and smooth.
• Slowly pour ganache over top of cake, letting it drip down the sides. If needed use a spatula to help spread ganache on top over sides.
• When ganache is set, cake can be transferred to a serving plate.
• Chill cake for 4 hours before serving.

DING DONG MOUSSE

Steps:

• Cut each Ding Dong into eight pieces.
• Mix whipped cream and pudding in a large bowl until well blended.
• Gently fold in Ding Dong pieces.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
• Before serving, add chocolate sprinkles to the top of the dessert or the bottom of the serving dish.

DING DONG DESSERT

Steps:

• Mix pudding with milk according to package directions.
• Crumble layer of cakes in bottom of large serving bowl.
• Top with pudding.
• Repeat another layer of cakes, then top with rest of pudding.
• Top with Cool Whip, shaved chocolate bar& nuts.
• Chill.
• Double the recipe for punch bowl size.

SALTED CARAMEL "DING DONG" CAKE

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment-paper rounds; coat paper. Place cocoa powder and chocolate in a medium metal bowl. Pour hot coffee over. Let stand for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla; set aside.
• Whisk cake flour and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides and bottom of bowl. Beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with chocolate mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Divide batter evenly between pans; smooth tops.
• Bake cakes until a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes (cakes will deflate slightly). Run a knife around pans to loosen cakes; invert cakes onto racks. Peel off paper and let cakes cool completely. Turn cakes over.
• If needed, use a long serrated knife to cut off bumps or trim dome from top of each cake to create a flat, even surface.
• For caramel ganache:
• Place chocolate and salt in a medium bowl. Stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium deep saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and cook without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until sugar is deep amber, about 9 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir over medium heat until caramel bits dissolve. Pour over chocolate in bowl. Add vanilla; stir until mixture is smooth. Let cool slightly.
• Place 1 cake layer in springform pan. Pour 1 cup ganache over. Chill until set, about 30 minutes. Cover remaining ganache and let stand at room temperature.
• For filling and assembly:
• Place 2 tablespoons cold water in a small heatproof glass or metal bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over; let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes.
• Pour water to a depth of 1/2" into a small skillet set over medium heat. Transfer bowl with gelatin to skillet; stir until gelatin dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from skillet. Set aside.
• Place cream and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Using an electric mixer, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add gelatin; beat filling until firm peaks form.
• Spoon filling over chilled ganache on cake layer in pan; smooth top. Gently place second cake layer on top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill until cream layer is set, at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Remove sides from springform pan. Using a knife or offset spatula, scrape off any filling that may have leaked out from between cakes to form smooth sides. Transfer cake to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.
• Rewarm remaining ganache until just pourable. (Microwave in a microwave-safe bowl, or set a metal bowl over a large saucepan of simmering water until just warm, not hot.) Pour ganache over cake, tilting cake as needed to allow ganache to drip down sides and using an offset spatula to help spread ganache, if needed, to cover sides of cake. Chill until ganache is set, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Cake can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with a cake dome; chill. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
• Sprinkle cake with flaky sea salt.