This article takes a look at two famous competitors in the snack cake market, Ring Dings vs Dings Dongs. In addition to a blind taste test, we take a look at their appearance, nutrition, and ownership.
While we found a clear winner in our taste test, be sure to vote for your favorite in the poll at the end of this article! We are curious to see what cake our readers think is the best between the two.
Blind Taste Test
Two adults and a nine-year-old completed a taste test on these snack cakes. Here are the results:
Exterior Chocolate Shell – The winner here was Ding Dongs. The shell on the Ding Dongs was said to taste like real chocolate. It had a smooth chocolate flavor compared to the waxy and slightly artificial flavor of the Ring Dings shell.
Interior Cake – The Ding Dongs were said to have a drier interior cake. The Ring Dings were fluffier with more of a real cake flavor according to the testers.
Cream Filling – It was tough to tell a difference in the flavors for the testers. However, the Ring Dings had more filling based on the cakes used for the taste test. The taste testers agreed that the Ding Dongs had the best balance between cream filling and chocolate cake.
Winner! – All three taste testers agreed that the Ding Dongs were the winner. Despite drier interior cakes of the Ding Dongs, their superior outer shell and balance of interior flavors put them on top.
Appearance
Pictured left is a Ring Ding and on the right is a Ding Dong. The Ring Ding is slightly taller than the Ding Dong. Additionally, the outside chocolate shell of the Ring Ding is much darker than the Ding Dong. Interestingly, the inner cake of the Ring Ding features much lighter chocolate than the Ding Dong. The cake of the Ring Ding appears much lighter or fluffier compared to the compact cake of the Ding Dong. Lastly, the Ring Ding has a single layer of cream versus two pockets of cream for the Ding Dong.
Ownership
Ring Dings – Rings Dings are made by Drake’s who has been producing baked goods since 1896. However, Ring Dings did not come to the market until 1958. Drake’s was purchased by McKee Foods in April 2013 as part of the bankruptcy liquidation of Hostess Brands (a.k.a. Interstate Bakeries Corporation).
Ding Dongs – Ding Dongs are made by Hostess Brands in the U.S. and Vachon in Canada. In Canada, they are marketed as King Dons. At one time, Ding Dongs were packaged as Big Wheels on the East Coast to avoid confusion with the similarly sounding Ring Dings. These snack cakes have been made since 1967 with a brief hiatus during the Hostess bankruptcy in 2012-2013.
Nutrition Facts
Okay, most people aren’t taking a deep look at the nutrition labels of these cakes. We all know these aren’t the best thing for the diet. However, for the sake of comparison let’s see if there are any differences in nutrition between Ring Dings vs Ding Dong.
| Nutrition | Ring Dings | Ding Dongs |
|---|---|---|
| Serving Size | 2 Cakes (82g) | 2 Cakes (72g) |
| Calories | 360 | 320 |
| Total Fat | 18g | 17g |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 11g |
| Trans Fat | 0g | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 5mg |
| Sodium | 260mg | 280mg |
| Total Carbs | 48g | 43g |
| Fiber | 2g | 1g |
| Total Sugars | 34g | 33g |
| Includes Added Sugars | 32g | 32g |
| Protein | 2g | 1g |
| Vitamin D | 0% | 0% |
| Calcium | 0% | 0% |
| Iron | 16% | 10% |
| Potassium | 0% | 2% |
Poll – Ring Dings vs Ding Dongs
Please vote for your favorite between Ring Dings and Ding Dongs in our poll.