How to make vegan Twinkies Bake Set Vegetarian!

Will Twinkie wonders never cease? If you can’t possibly be pleased by store-bought Twinkies, but still crave the je ne sais quoi of unbridled Twinkie consumption, check out two recipes here—one for Vegan Twinkies, one for Homemade Twinkies, or open the purse strings for Hostess’s Twinkie Cookbook (see bottom of page). Buy ‘em or make ‘em—you can’t go wrong!

Step One: Get one of these…

Yes, it’s the Hostess® Twinkies® Bake Set, complete with baking pan, icing injector, spatula, and cowboy-style Twinkies® Container! If you can’t find an actual Hostess® set, do a Google search for “cream canoe baking set” and you’ll find many brands to choose from. You can also purchase a cake pan with Twinkie-shaped wells—the Cream Canoe Pan—at Pastry Chef Central. If all else fails, use a muffin pan.

Step Two: Throw out the icing injector because it’s a cheap piece of junk that will break if you attempt to actually use it. Get yourself a pastry bag fitted with a large star or round tip instead.

Step Three: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the batter for Fluffy White Cupcakes. Spray the baking pan with nonstick spray and fill the cups just under halfway full (about 1/4 cup). Bake for 15 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.

Step Four: Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn them out (running a thin plastic spatula along the sides helps release the cakes) and set them on a wire rack. Let them cool completely before filling.

Step Five: Make Cream Filling:

1/4 cup non hydrogenated shortening
1/4 cup non hydrogenated margarine
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 TB barley malt powder (gives the filling a sweet, marshmallowy taste; not to be confused with malted milk powder)

Beat together the shortening and margarine with a handheld beater or stand mixer. Add the powdered sugar and beat until completely light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and malt powder and beat for another 2 minutes.

Fill the pastry bag and poke and squeeze out about one tablespoon into three locations in the underside of each cake.

This will make about 16 Vegan Twinkies with Cream Filling, but do us adults a favor and fill some with puréed organic strawberry jam instead. Or dip them in chocolate icing and make Australian Lamingtons.

And hey, you can also use this pan to make vegan corn dogs.

HOMEMADE TWINKIES
12 Twinkies (change servings and units)

Ingredients

YELLOW CAKE
2 cups white sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 egg whites
2/3 cup water
FILLING
2 teaspoons butter
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 drops lemon extract

Directions
1. Note: (You will need a spice bottle (about the size of a Twinkie), twelve 12 x 14-inch pieces of aluminum foil, a pastry bag and a toothpick).

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

3. Fold each piece of foil in half twice. Wrap the folded foil around the spice bottle to create a mold. Leave the top open for pouring the batter inches Make twelve of these molds and arrange on a cookie sheet. Grease the inside of each with nonstick spray or butter.

4. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Combine with cake mix and water, and beat until thoroughly blended (about 2 minutes).

5. Pour batter into molds, filling each about 3/4 inch. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

6. For the filling, cream the butter and shortening. Slowly add the sugars while beating.

7. Add the evaporated milk, vanilla and lemon extracts.

8. Mix on medium speed until completely smooth and fluffy.

9. When the cakes are done and cooled, use a toothpick to make three small holes in the bottom of each one. Move the toothpick around the inside of each cake to make room for filling.

10. Using the pastry bag, inject each cake with filling through all three holes.