Cream-filled Vanilla Cakes
The inspiration for this recipe comes from the ever-amazing, classic, golden, cream-filled cakes known as Twinkies. Despite not using marshmallow fluff in my recipe, I am reasonably confident that it is one of the main ingredients in Twinkies cream. Generally, I don't keep marshmallow fluff on hand in my food pantry, but this doesn't deter me from making my rendition of this childhood favorite snack cake. I hope you all will enjoy my recipe, because it's scrumptiously delicious!
Ingredients for the vanilla cake batter:
2 eggs
2/3 cup Splenda, or sugar
1/3 cup of canola oil
1 cup of self-rising flour
1/4 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Ingredients for the cream filling:
3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of Crisco vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups of sugar-free powdered sugar, or regular powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Instructions:
First, sift 1 cup of self-rising flour. (I sift the flour at least twice.) Set aside.
In a bowl, add 2 eggs and 2/3 cup Splenda, or sugar. Using a mixer, beat until creamy. Then add 1/3 cup of canola oil, 1 cup of self-rising flour, 1/4 cup milk, and 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Continue to mix until all the ingredients are combined.
Now, grease a silicone Twinkie pan with cooking spray. Using a spoon, fill the molds a little over halfway with the cake batter. I placed my silicone pan on a baking tray before filling the molds. Then I left the pan on the tray when I placed it in the oven. (This helps to prevent spillages.)
Transfer the pan to a 350-degree oven and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes. Once the cakes are done, take them out of their molds. Then allow them to completely cool on a cooling rack.
While you're waiting, mix the cream filling in a bowl. To do this, add 3 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of Crisco vegetable shortening to the bowl. Beat the two ingredients together well until they become creamy. Slowly, add 1 1/2 cups of sugar-free powdered sugar or regular powdered sugar to the creamed butter mixture. Now, add 2 tablespoons of evaporated milk and 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract to the creamy mixture. Beat until the ingredients are well incorporated.
Next, fill a cookie press or a piping bag about halfway with the cream filling.
Once the vanilla cakes are completely cooled, insert the pointed pastry tip into the cake, starting at one side, and inject the filling until the cake bulges a little. Remove the tip and inject the filling in the center of the cake, then do this once again at the opposite end of the cake.
Repeat the above step to fill the remaining vanilla cakes.
Serve and enjoy!