Ah Twinkies! Those spongy, cream filled nuclear-holocaust surviving snack cakes were for many of us, the stuff of happy childhood memories. This recipe is a great version of the famous pastry without all the added preservatives, food coloring, and allergens. You will find that this version is a little stiffer than traditional twinkies upon baking – with a candy like crust. This crust will soften and the filling benefits from sitting, covered for at least 2-3 days to soften.
For quicker eating and a softer twinkie, feel free to follow the box mix instructions as printed (with eggs, oil and water or with white bean puree).
You will also need to purchase cream canoe mold pans, make your own (instructions below), or use a cupcake tin for the recipe.
This recipe makes 10 cream canoes, or 12 cupcakes. Fo another blast from the past, use our Chocolate Cake Mix, and make ‘devil dogs’!
For the cake
1 box Better Batter gluten-free yellow cake mix
3/4 cups water
For the filling
1/2 cup vegetable shortening or organic solid shortening such as Spectrum
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (most pure vanilla extract is gluten-free; some imitation extracts contain gluten)
1 drop lemon extract
1/8 teaspoon molasses
1/4 teaspoon salt dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
Grease cream canoe pan lightly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Instructions
In bowl of mixer, combine cake mix and water. [Feel free to follow regular box instructions, instead]
Mix on low speed for 30 seconds and then on medium speed for 2 minutes or until smooth. The batter will be thick and sticky.
Divide cake batter evenly among 10 cream canoe molds. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until sides are golden and top is firm. Note that the color of the cake mix may remain light. When cakes are done, remove from oven and allow to cool in molds about 10 minutes. Then remove cakes from molds to a rack to cool completely.
To make filling, in bowl of mixer beat together shortening, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon extract and molasses until very smooth. Add salt water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all water is incorporated. Beat on high speed for at least 3 minutes and up to 10 minutes. Place filling in a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
When cakes are cool, gently use a toothpick or skewer to form three holes, evenly spaced, along the bottoms of the cakes. Use the skewer to gently enlarge the spaces within the cake to allow for filling.
Pipe 1 to 2 teaspoons of filling into each hole. You will see the cake expand slightly and may hear a small “puff” as the cavity fills. Stop when the filling begins to come out of the hole around your decorating tip.
Store Twinkies, covered, for up to 1 week.
Make Your OwnCream Canoe Pans
10 sheets foil, 10×10 inches, folded in half.
1 spice bottle (about 3.5-4 inches long)
Place doubled foil on a flat surface and lay spice bottle on top. Fold ends and sides in until just touching the bottle, then bring the sides up to wrap around sides. You will need to wrap the ends around the sides to seal – think of gift wrapping., press tightly. Repeat.
