Just about a year ago I posted my original Twinkie recipe. I thought I’d follow that classic up with my Chocolate Twinkie a year later.
On a side note, should you be thinking about trying either the original Twinkie recipe or this Chocolate Twinkie recipe and are in need of the special pan, I put a search on eBay for a “Twinkie Boat Cakelet Pan” for a month and got a surprising number of hits from that search. For all I know they’ve become easier to find in the past year, but a year ago they were hard to come by. Also note that in the following photos I was making a double batch of the recipe.
Chocolate Twinkie’s
Original recipe by Williams-Sonoma. Adapted by Crafty Farm Girl, 2011©
When making the filling, be sure your electric mixer bowl, whisk and beater are spotlessly clean. Any spot of grease or fat will prevent the egg whites from expanding to their full volume.
Ingredients:
For the cakelets:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
2/3 cup boiling water
For the filling:
2 egg whites
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
Have all the ingredients at room temperature.
Preheat an oven to 325°F. Generously grease and flour an 8-well cream boat pan. Note: My pans were a very good non-stick variety, so I did not find it necessary to do more than a quick spray of cooking spray.
To make the cakelets, over a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, egg and vanilla; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk in the boiling water, then whisk in the butter mixture.
Add the flour mixture in two additions, whisking until smooth and no lumps of flour remain.
Divide the batter among the wells of the prepared pan, filling each individual pan until about 3/4 full. Bake until the cakelets spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cakelets cool for 10 minutes. Invert the pan onto the rack, gently tap the pan bottom and lift off the pan. Let the cakelets cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer, using a handheld whisk, beat together the egg whites, sugar, corn syrup and salt just until combined. Place the bowl over but not touching simmering water in a saucepan and whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot, 2 to 3 minutes.
Set the bowl on the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat until the outside of the bowl is cool and medium-firm peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes more.
Spoon the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip. Insert the tip 1 inch into the bottom of a cakelet. Gently squeeze the filling into the cakelet while slowly withdrawing the tip. Repeat in two more places along the bottom. Turn the cakelet over so that the filling holes are on the underside and place on a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining cakelets and filling.
Makes 8 Twinkies. Recipe easily doubles.