1919
The OG Sweetens Snacking
Hostess®, known as Continental Baking at the time, opened and gained a national audience from its base of operations in Kansas City, Missouri. The company wanted to start a line of sweet snacks in addition to their popular bread—and that’s how the original Hostess CupCake came to be. It looked a little different from the chocolatey treat we know and love today, though—the crème filling and squiggle icing came later.
1930
The Golden Child Arrives
James Alexander Dewar had a golden idea—and Twinkies® sponge cakes were born. The original version of these snack cakes had banana-flavored crème filling, but the vanilla-flavored crème variety quickly became the most popular after it was developed.
1940
Donettes Roll Out
Americans were looking for inexpensive ways to treat themselves, and Hostess® Brands delivered with Donettes® mini donuts. They’re the perfect way to sweeten your morning to this day, in a variety of classically delicious flavors.
1950
SnoBalls® & Squiggles
Pink coconut, chocolate cake and marshmallow filling in the middle—SnoBalls cakes were the perfect way to celebrate the end of WWII-era flour and sugar rationing.
At the same time, D.R. “Doc” Rice further developed CupCakes in the experimental Hostess® bakery. He improved upon the existing recipe by adding the same vanilla crème filling popularized by Twinkies® cakes. To further distinguish Hostess CupCakes from other brands, he also gave the tops their signature icing flourish: The Original Squiggle®.
1967
Ringing in Ding Dongs®
The king of cakes arrived to delight tastebuds everywhere. Ding Dongs chocolate snack cakes are wrapped in a layer of chocolate icing and packed with that irresistible crème filling. Did you know their name comes from a Hostess® television campaign featuring a ringing bell?
1970
A Zing and a Swiss
Zingers® cakes and HoHos® rolls got introduced to the ever-growing lineup of Hostess® snacks. While Zingers might sound like a tangy treat, they’re actually pretty sweet—each soft cake has crème filling at the center and a generous layer of icing on top (or raspberry and coconut coating, for our raspberry flavor). And HoHos, our chocolate Swiss-style roll cakes with rich crème filling, got their start as hand-produced goodies made in a San Francisco bakery.
2019
The Big One (Hundred)
Hostess® Brands turned 100 years old! Celebratory Birthday CupCakes were introduced to commemorate our Sweetennial™.
2024
Yummy Layers & Melty Centers
Kazbars™ layer bars and Meltamors™ mini cakes gave snacking yet another sweet glowup. Want six layers of crunchy, creamy, gooey goodness in one place? Kazbars are the snack for you. Craving a restaurant-quality lava cake in miniature form? Pop Meltamors in the microwave to enjoy a fluffy, melty treat.