The 12 Most Iconic American Snack Cakes Of All Time

There's nothing like a good old-fashioned American snack cake when you're craving something sweet on the go or just when you want to feel a sense of nostalgia. These generally super-sweet packaged snacks are absolute lunchbox staples, packed on busy days when parents want to give their kids something sweet to enjoy. They're also commonly found in gas stations and convenience stores, places where homemade sweets might not be an option. Whether you love them or hate them, American snack cakes have become a notable part of this country's cuisine.

Today, we're taking a closer look at the most iconic of these snack cakes. Brands like Hostess, Little Debbie, and Tastykake dominate this list with their lineups of popular packaged snack cakes. Chances are, you've tried a lot of these yourself (or at least seen them from time to time). Maybe you indulged in these sweets as a kid, or perhaps you still treat yourself to one every once in a while. There's a chance that when you think about these cakes again, your mouth will start to water ... or you might remember why you stopped eating them in the first place. Either way, you're in for a treat.

Let's get one thing straight: Nothing can ever replace homemade brownies. You can't beat the kind of gooey texture you get from a fresh version of the dessert. But we can't deny that Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies also have a place in our hearts. They came onto the market in 1999, and they've been making waves on the packaged dessert scene ever since. It's almost safer to think of this dessert as a totally different treat than brownies. Fresh brownies are fudgy on the inside and perhaps a bit crisp on the outside, while Cosmic Brownies sort of have the opposite texture. The top of them is covered in a moist, rich, chocolatey frosting, while the chocolate cake below is a bit drier. Although they're called brownies, they definitely feel more like cake to us.

If you ask us, the brownie itself isn't very good at all. Rather, it's the little multicolored candies on top that create the texture this treat is known for. They don't have a particularly interesting flavor on their own, either, but something about their bold colors and the little popping sound they make when you chew them makes them the perfect addition to these brownies.

Hostess Twinkies are arguably one of the most well-known and beloved American snack cakes of all time, perhaps because they've been around for so, so long. Twinkies were invented back in 1930, so generations of Americans have tucked into this classic treat. They're also perhaps one of the simplest snack cakes out there. The cake itself is a yellow sponge cake filled with light, airy crème. The combination of heavy cake with fluffy filling really works together, making this a more interesting snack than you may at first suspect.

Unfortunately, though, you won't get the same old Twinkies you once did when you buy this product today. In 2013, Hostess changed the old recipe in an attempt to give the cakes a longer shelf life. That's exactly why today's Twinkies taste totally different from those of the past. Although the new Twinkies might not taste as good as the original, we still can't resist a good fried Twinkie.

Sure, there are plenty of more cake-shaped American snack cakes out there, but what about cupcakes? Hostess has you covered on that front with its iconic CupCakes. It's definitely not a new item in the Hostess lineup, though. This was actually the brand's first product, debuting in 1919 when the company was still called Continental Baking. At that point, the now-famous cupcake didn't come with a crème filling, nor did it have that iconic white squiggle on top. In time, though, that squiggle became perhaps the most iconic part of the whole treat, making it recognizable everywhere.

How can you dislike the combination of rich, chocolatey cake and fluffy, airy crème? It's a great contrast of flavors, even though every bite is ultra-sweet all the way through. Although the squiggle doesn't add much in terms of flavor, it still somehow makes these cupcakes more appetizing. For a bakery product to last so long, it has to have mass appeal; we think Hostess Cupcakes provide just that. Plus, they make it easy to eat a cupcake anytime, anywhere, and for that, we're grateful.

There's a lot of chocolate and vanilla on the American snack cake market, but what if you're looking for a treat with a slightly different flavor profile? That's when it's time to turn to Tastykake's Butterscotch Krimpet. This "Krimpet" is known for its unique shape. Instead of looking like a standard loaf, it has large ridges along its sides, setting it apart from other snack cakes on the market. The sponge cake is finished off with a butterscotch icing that delivers a decadent, sticky sweetness to the dessert. 

Like other snack cakes, Tastykake's Butterscotch Krimpet has been around for quite some time, first making its appearance in stores all the way back in 1927. Still, today, you can go to the snack section of your local grocery store and pick up some of those same cakes. For those who crave a more interesting flavor profile than most snack cakes can offer, this Tastykake selection is a great choice, although it is sickly sweet. Is that part of the appeal? Sure, but you have to be prepared before you take that first bite.

Little Debbie's Oatmeal Creme Pies look like cookies and are labeled as such. However, they are also included as part of the brand's snack cake lineup, so we're including them on this list. After all, Oatmeal Creme Pies are absolutely an iconic and nearly ubiquitous snack. In each serving, you get two thin oatmeal cookies with a layer of white crème between them. They're softer than you might expect from a packaged cookie, and that crème adds lightness and sweetness, providing the cookies with a little oomph in both texture and flavor.

The history of this snack cake is interesting. It was in 1935 that O.D. McKee, who founded Little Debbie, figured out how to transform the hard oatmeal cookies he had been making into ones that were moist and soft — enough give to fit the "snack cake" category. After putting crème in the center and sandwiching the whole thing together, he'd created one of Little Debbie's most recognizable products. It's the perfect snack cake for those who might want a slightly more neutral (while still quite sweet!) flavor profile.

Little Debbie is also the producer of Zebra Cakes, which might be one of the most fun snack cakes of them all. It all starts with two pieces of yellow cake, which sandwich a layer of crème in the middle. That whole concoction is then covered with a thick layer of white icing. This icing isn't like the kind you might expect on an actual, freshly made cake. Rather, it's like a hard shell, creating some textural contrast in the snack. To finish it off, Little Debbie adds fudge stripes to the top of the snack cake, giving it its namesake zebra-like appearance. That little bit of chocolate is a nice touch, as it gives the rest of the relatively mild treat some depth.

Officially, Zebra Cakes entered the Little Debbie lineup in 1991, making them one of the brand's younger snack cakes. Technically, though, they'd been around before that date, getting their official start in 1964. However, up until 1991, they were simply known as Little Debbie Vanilla Snack Cakes. That name makes sense, but it's a bit boring, so we love that the brand branched out and tried something new. After all, it's partially these cakes' wild appearance that makes them such a beloved choice for kids.

Are you more of a chocolatey snack caker? In that case, Little Debbie's Swiss Rolls are probably right up your alley. While a lot of these snack cakes are yellow cake-based, this variety starts with chocolate cake. That cake is rolled around a layer of crème, which creates a sort of spiral in the treat. But it gets better. That whole cake is encased in a hard layer of fudge icing, which creates an interesting textural combo of hard and soft. They're arguably a bit richer than their counterparts, since they do offer such a deep, chocolatey flavor. Don't worry, though — you're still getting plenty of sweetness here. They also come in packs of two, so you can share some with friends or family (or just double up on the indulgence yourself).

It seems like 1964 was a busy year for Little Debbie, since that's when many of its snack cakes entered the market. Swiss Rolls are one of those cakes. For them to have so much staying power indicates just how popular they've remained after all these years.

It's Hostess Ding Dongs, another chocolate icon on the snack cake scene. Honestly, they remind us a lot of Hostess CupCakes, although these have less of a cupcake shape, despite the round shape. They also contain a chocolate cake base, which is only enhanced by the white crème filling. However, you'll notice that this snack cake is missing that squiggly white topping that makes the CupCakes so recognizable. Additionally, the fudgy coating on the CupCakes resembles the kind you'd see on actual homemade cupcakes. Ding Dongs, on the other hand, have a firmer chocolate icing that encases the entire treat.

Ding Dongs haven't been around nearly as long as Hostess' CupCakes, though. That being said, they've still been on the snack market for a while. The company debuted Ding Dongs in 1967 with a commercial that featured a ringing bell, hence the name "Ding Dong."

This is a pretty simple snack cake, but that's what makes it so great. Without superfluous decorations and unnecessary elements, it cures your sweet tooth without the fuss. If you're craving a quick, chocolate-based dessert, get Ding Dongs.

Little Debbie Honey Buns are an absolute staple for gas stations and vending machines, so they can absolutely claim legendary status. However, Honey Buns don't have quite the same long and storied history as some of the snack cakes on this list. Rather, it only got its start in 1994, so it's a relatively new offering compared to the Little Debbie old guard. In that time, though, it has made some serious waves on the snack scene, offering up a quick and easy alternative to cinnamon buns made from scratch. Of course, they taste much different than the homemade version of the baked treat, especially if you eat them cold, straight out of the package. At the same time, these pastries still scratch that same cinnamon bun itch.

These honey- and cinnamon-flavored snack cakes are soft and supple inside, while a sticky sweet glaze adds a bit of texture to the exterior. Admittedly, they can sometimes taste sort of plasticky, but we guess that's part of their charm. Our advice? Pair them with a black coffee. That bitterness will create the flavor balance, so you're not overwhelmed by all that sugar.

We haven't forgotten about you, peanut butter lovers. While this may not be a flavor that pops up in many snack cakes on the market, Tastykake's Peanut Butter Kandy Kake is an exception. It offers all the rich, peanut butter nuttiness you're looking for in a dessert. The cake itself is a pretty basic vanilla number, but it's topped with a layer of peanut butter filling for an interesting twist on the typical snack cake construction. There's not much peanut butter, but it's just enough for that flavor to shine through. Then, it's covered in a chocolate-flavored coating that keeps the peanut butter in place and adds even more depth to the treat.

If you're not into peanut butter, you can still get in on the Kandy Kake action. Tastykake carries a whole line of them in three different flavors. In addition to the Peanut Butter Kandy Kake, you'll find chocolate and coconut flavors. That being said, the peanut butter is arguably the most iconic and most unique of the available selection.

SnoBall fight! Not really — we don't want to waste any of Hostess' SnoBalls snack cakes, which were created in 1950. This is definitely one of the more fun and creative cakes in the lineup for a few different reasons. First of all, the shape is much more rounded than other snack cakes out there. Of course, this is so the cakes actually look more like actual snowballs. Secondly, there's a coating of pink coconut on each snack cake, giving them a bold, brightly colored appearance that immediately makes you want to take a bite.

The base of the cake is chocolate, which you might not expect from that pink sprinkling on the outside (but it works with the other elements in the mix). The cake is filled with the same white crème you'll find in so many of Hostess' other products. Instead of getting a standard icing on the outside of the cake, it's actually covered in a sort of marshmallow topping. While it's sweet, the real appeal is in its bouncy texture. The result is a snack cake that's totally different from any of the others on this list and, frankly, a bit unexpected ... in the best possible way.

We've mostly covered a few specific snack cake brands, but now we're moving on to a totally new one: Drake's. Although this brand offers more than a few different snack cakes, the brand's Coffee Cake might be the most iconic of them all. It's been around since 1930, so it obviously has some staying power. Unlike most of the other cakes on this list, this one doesn't come with any sort of icing or glaze. Rather, it starts with a yellow cake base, which is then adorned with a generous amount of cinnamon streusel crumble for that classic coffee cake taste. That baking spice note makes these snack cakes feel cozy, while the softness of the cake invites you to take another bite as soon as you've finished your first.

Although this cake is very sweet, it may have fewer cloying qualities than some of the other cakes on this list. Enjoy it with some black coffee. And if Drake's Coffee Cake inspires you, you can always try making your own coffee cake at home.