Homemade Twinkies

Twinkies are good.  Homemade twinkies with chocolate and caramel are even better.

Yield: 20 cakes

Ingredients

• Sponge Cake
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• Filling
• 1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• Topping (optional)
• 2 lbs. dark chocolate
• Coarse sea salt
• 16 caramels
• 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Beat the eggs on high speed for 4 minutes.  Add the sugar and vanilla and stir just until combined.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Gradually add to the egg mixture while beating, just until combined.
3. In a small saucepan, combine the milk and butter.  Heat until the butter is melted.  Add to the batter, just until combined.
4. Grease and flour your Twinkie mold.  Pour the batter into each mold.  This is probably 1/4 cup fulls, depending on your mold.  (They'll rise a fair amount while baking)
5. Bake at 300°F for approximately 21-23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.
6. For the filling, place the whipping cream and powdered sugar in a bowl.  Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.  Pipe into the center of the cakes.
7. If desired, melt dark chocolate and dip each cake into the chocolate.  Sprinkle with coarse sea salt while it's still wet.  Melt caramel & cream and pipe over the chocolate.
8. Store in the refrigerator.

Adapted from Cake Boss.