Make two 9″ round cakes using one of the boxed cake mixes. Make and bake according to the package directions. From the second box you’re going to make one additional 6″ round cake. Make the 6″ cake as tall as you can in your cake pan. You want the extra height to compensate for it being a single layer. There will be some leftover.

After they’ve baked and cooled, find a base for your cake, such as a cake stand or a cake carrier, and frost one of the 9″ cakes on top and on the sides. Put the second 9″ cake on top of the frosted one and repeat frosting the top and sides.

Now it’s time to measure out the Twinkies. We had to trim them each about 1/2 inch to get the layers to match. The cuts also serve as a nice base to keep them standing as opposed to falling off/over. Once you’ve measured, make sure to trim each one exactly the same.

Gently press the bottom side of the Twinkie (the flat side, NOT the cut end) against the frosting so that it sticks. Be sure to be ready to do the Twinkie step right after frosting so the frosting’s still ‘wet’ and hasn’t hardened. Continue until you’ve covered the bottom layer. Once that’s done, repeat the process for the top layer. Start by placing the 6″ cake on top of and in the center of the frosted double layered cake. Frost it on the sides and on top and measure and cut the Twinkies to match up with this layer and repeat the process of pressing them around the sides of the cake. To finish off the cake, I used a star tip to make a simple, accented top. You could opt to just spread on some frosting like with the previous layer or even sprinkle some candy on top. Whatever floats you (and your teen’s) boat.