# So Little Debbie is making Twinkies now? (Cloud Cakes) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 18, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237 "2013-06-18T02:48:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/1 "2013-06-18T02:48:01Z")
I don’t recall seeing these before Hostess went bankrupt. Saw them this evening at the gas station and bought a pack. Tasted the same as a Twinkie to me. They’re Chocolate Cupcake is basically the same as Hostess too. Sure wish they had the Orange cupcake. Geez that was good. [http://www.littledebbie.com/www/docs/109/little-debbie-snack-cakes](http://www.littledebbie.com/www/docs/109/little-debbie-snack-cakes) I remember as a kid that Little Debbie didn’t seem that good. They seemed to have improved over the years. Or maybe I’m just missing Hostess more and more? My dad loved the Banana Twins. I never could see the appeal. Way too sweet and not enough banana taste. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/2 "2013-06-18T03:22:17Z")
Biggest problem I have with Little Debbie? It’s near impossible to find Marshmallow Pies, their moon pie knockoff. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/3 "2013-06-18T03:22:46Z")
I like Ho Hos (Swiss Rolls) and Ding Dongs (Cocoa Cremes). I freeze them. Freezing makes it taste better. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Kasper1014](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c89c15/32.png) [@Kasper1014](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kasper1014)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/4 "2013-06-18T03:26:03Z")
They’ve always had them. My kids always called the “Knock off twinkies”. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/5 "2013-06-18T03:50:26Z")
Little Debbie has been making Cloud Cakes for a long time. I’ve also seen similar types of store-branded snack cakes in places like Safeway and Wal-Mart. [Hostess Twinkies](http://m.nbcnews.com/business/twinkies-real-ones-back-store-shelves-july-6C9590050) will be making a return to store shelves next month, however. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/6 "2013-06-18T05:18:12Z")
Little Debbie used to be the Poor Man’s Hostess. Their snack cakes weren’t direct knockoffs of any particular Hostess product. They were the same kind of thing, except you could buy a box of them for 99 cents, and they tasted like they were made of wax. At some point, even before the demise of Hostess (but maybe after Hostess had started to decline in quality), Little Debbie started offering more expensive, and I presume higher quality, stuff, including things that were more direct knockoffs of Hostess Twinkies and such. I’m not sure when that happened, or even if I’m remembering right. But I do remember buying Aldi’s store brand pseudotwinkies back in the early 90s. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/7 "2013-06-18T13:22:01Z")
Yeah, I used to have Little Debbie Twinkie knock-offs when I was a kid. I liked them better than Twinkies, actually. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/8 "2013-06-18T14:05:25Z")
The South African knock-off brand is called Tinkies. Not that anyone asked. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/9 "2013-06-18T16:52:58Z")
There are lots of companies that make Hostess/Little Debbie knock-offs. > [@aceplace57](#): > > Sure wish they had the Orange cupcake. Try [Mrs. Freshley’s](http://www.mrsfreshleys.com/mrs_Varieties/category.cfm?categoryid=42) ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/10 "2013-06-18T17:30:32Z")
I’d rate the Little Debbie knockoffs a 60. To me, the best ersatz Twinkie is the [Tastykake Dreamie.](http://imgur.com/VSdWaLa) I’d rate it an 85, with the cake part REALLY close to Twinkiedom, while the creme filling is not quite there, but not bad. Kroger has started carrying these. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/11 "2013-06-18T17:40:26Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I remember as a kid that Little Debbie didn’t seem that good. They seemed to have improved over the years. Or maybe I’m just missing Hostess more and more? Little Debbie has always been the superior product. Hostess for the masses, Little Deb for those of us with more refined palettes. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/12 "2013-06-18T17:46:44Z")
> [@shiftless](#): > > Little Debbie has always been the superior product. Hostess for the masses, Little Deb for those of us with more refined palettes. How old are you? ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/13 "2013-06-18T18:46:41Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > The South African knock-off brand is called Tinkies. Not that anyone asked. Say, does anybody here know what the South Afri-Oh! Here’s the answer! Thanks, **MrDibble**! ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/14 "2013-06-18T18:47:46Z")
I like WalMart’s house version of the Twinkie. They have about 90% more creme in the middle. Everything else is about the same. But, as pointed out above, somebody needs to get a humping and conjure up an Orange Twinkie. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/15 "2013-06-18T18:57:05Z")
Twinkies? Feh. What you need are some Blue Bird Bingles. Like a Twinkie, but made with red velvet cake. Om nom nom nom. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/16 "2013-06-18T19:17:54Z")
Sara Lee (now owned by the wonderfully named Grupo Bimbo) had a knock-off in stores recently, too. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/17 "2013-06-18T19:47:33Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > Sara Lee (now owned by the wonderfully named Grupo Bimbo) had a knock-off in stores recently, too. I bought a box of these because I couldn’t find Cloud Cakes. They tasted like chemicals and sugar. I still have 3/4 of the box left. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/18 "2013-06-18T19:55:32Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I remember as a kid that Little Debbie didn’t seem that good. They seemed to have improved over the years. The little slut is also wearing [make-up](http://cravedfw.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/lil-debbie1.jpg) now. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/19 "2013-06-18T19:58:42Z")
Does anyone do a knockoff of the Sno-Ball? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2013, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237/20 "2013-06-18T20:00:06Z")
Little Debbie is most definitely the leader and best in snack cake production. Debbie is a knock off to no woman, man or animal mascot. Fancy Cakes. Need I say more? I mean, it says “fancy” right in the name. No other company can claim similar credentials. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-little-debbie-is-making-twinkies-now-cloud-cakes/661237.md?page=2)