This Raspberry Zinger Cake is just like the Hostess packaged treat in 9×13 pan form! Moist white cake, smooth filling, a little coconut and a touch of raspberry flavor come together to make this dreamy dessert so so SO good!
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Wanna know a little secret?? Two of the most visited recipes here at Dance Around the Kitchen are Hostess copycats. Yep, that’s right. The Twinkie Cake and the Ding Dong Cake are both big winners and if you’ve ever tried them, you aren’t really surprised at all.
So, naturally, I thought about other Hostess products that are hugely popular and the Raspberry Zingers come to mind. I’ve always thought they were so pretty and vibrantly colored, so I gave it a go. And I’m SOOOO glad I did!
Ingredients Needed
- White Cake Mix + ingredients needed to make the cake (most brands say egg whites, oil & water)
- Raspberry Gelatin – Or change it up!! Prefer strawberry or cherry?! Go for it!
- Flour
- Milk
- Salt
- Sugar
- Butter
- Shortening
- Vanilla
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut
- Whipped Topping (homemade or store-bought)
How to Make Raspberry Zinger Cake
First, bake the cakes!
Be sure to prepare the pans correctly before baking. You’ll want one 9×13 pan that is just greased and the other lined with parchment paper. The parchment paper will be super helpful once you’re ready to put the cake together!
Mix the cake batter according to package instructions. 
Scoop half of the batter into a greased 9×13 pan and the other half into a parchment lined pan. 
Bake, then poke both cakes with a fork. 
Mix hot water and all but 1 tbsp gelatin powder. 
Brush over the cakes. 
Refrigerate!
Next, make the filling.
In order to have a super smooth filling, be sure you’re keeping a close eye on the milk + flour mixture. It’s important to whisk constantly to avoid clumps.
Whisk together the flour and milk and cook on low heat, stirring constantly. 
Once thick, remove from the heat. 
Let cool completely. 
Add remaining ingredients to bowl of stand mixer until well-combined. 
Add the cooled flour/milk mixture and beat for a few minutes, until smooth and creamy. 
Spread over the cake (with no parchment paper).
Put it all together!!
Seeing all of the tasty components come together is the fun part!! Just be sure that the cakes are completely cooled before moving on to this step.
Carefully lay the other cake over the filling, gelatin side down and peel off the parchment paper. 
Top with whipped topping. 
Combine remaining gelatin, coconut and water in a bowl then sprinkle over the cake. 
Refrigerate until ready to serve!
This cake is GOOD, you guys. It does have a few steps, but I can promise it’s totally worth it. I like to think of this cake as a combo of a poke cake and a layer cake….the best of BOTH worlds!
What Hostess or Little Debbie creation should I “copycat” next?! Tell me in the comments below! Until then, one more close-up of this beauty! (insert alllll the heart eyes here!)
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Raspberry Zinger Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box white cake mix + ingredients to prepare
- 1 3 oz pkg raspberry gelatin divided
- 3/4 c boiling water
Filling
- 5 tbsp flour
- 1 c milk
- 1/2 c shortening
- 1/2 c butter
- 1 c sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
Topping
- 1 8 oz tub whipped topping
- 1 c coconut
- 1/2 tbsp water
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F and gather two 9×13" pans.
- Prepare one pan with cooking spray and line the other pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare the cake mix according to box instructions and evenly divide the batter between the two pans.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until cakes are done. Poke holes in each cake with a fork.
- Remove 1 tbsp raspberry gelatin powder from the bag and set aside. Add the remaining gelatin to the 3/4 cup boiling water and stir until dissolved. Brush over both cakes and refrigerate to cool.
Make the Filling
- In a saucepan, mix flour and milk with a whisk.
- Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thick; remove from the heat and let cool.
- In a large bowl (or stand mixer with a whisk attachment), beat the shortening, butter, sugar, salt and vanilla until fluffy.
- Add the cooled milk mixture and beat until smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Spread the filling over the cake in the pan (without parchment paper).
Assemble
- Place the other cake over the filling, raspberry side down, and remove the parchment paper.
- Spread the whipped topping on the cake evenly.
- In a small bowl, stir together the 1 tbsp raspberry gelatin, 1/2 tbsp water and coconut until well-combined and sprinkle it on top.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
