"Ding dong ding go the bells..." Okay, not really.
Ding Dongs are the classic hockey puck shaped cake from
Hostess that has adorned many a kids lunchbox. A box of 12 foil-wrapped chocolate cakes are regularly priced at about
$4.49 but it's not unusual to see them on sale around $3.
I have to say, like Taco Bell, Hostess makes a lot of products that are very similar to each other. A Hostess chocolate cupcake with the trademark sguiggly frosting is almost the same as a Ding Dong; there're both chocolate cake, have chocolate frosting, and a creamy filling.
The difference is a Ding Dong is completely covered in frosting and has a more even creamy filling to chocolate cake ratio. The more even ratio actually makes a fair difference in taste and decreases the chances of getting cake stuck in your gullet on account of there being more creamy filling in the mix (that's what they call it: "creamy filling." It's like whipped topping.).
The cake itself is a bit on the dry side but again, there's more cream to straighten it out and the Ding Dong is covered in a nice even layer of milk chocolate.
I do have to wonder at the amount of preservatives in Ding Dongs though since they are wrapped and not sealed in foil. But honestly, that doesn't stop me from stuffing my face, at least once in a while. I guess they wouldn't last as long in the cupboard as a sealed plastic-wrapped cupcake.
Nutritional Info - Hostess Ding Dong (per cake)
Calories - 180 (from Fat - 80)
Fat - 9g (Saturated Fat - 7g)
Sodium - 115mg
Carbs - 23g (Sugar - 18g)
Protein - 1g
