Yodels Vs Swiss Rolls Vs HoHos: What's The Difference Between These Snack Cakes?

Swiss Rolls, and HoHos, and Yodels, oh my! On the surface, it might seem like these three sweet American snack cakes offer the exact same experience to hungry snackers: a spongy chocolate cake rolled together with sweet buttercream frosting and coated in chocolate, resembling a miniature Yule Log cake.

However, when compared side by side, the treats have noticeable differences that set each one apart. For starters, all three cakes are produced by different companies and debuted at different times. Yodels were the first to arrive on the scene, putting Drake's Cakes — a company now owned by McKee Foods — on the map back in 1962. Little Debbie's Swiss Rolls followed in 1964. It wasn't until 1967 that Hostess debuted HoHos, a treat originally made by hand in the company's San Francisco factory.

While it's unknown whether the makers of Yodels and HoHos drew inspiration from Swiss Rolls, the three snacks are often compared due to their similar shape and ingredients. However, the cakes do have distinct differences in flavor and texture, leading many snack cake lovers to develop strong preferences.

Let's begin with Swiss Rolls. The popular Little Debbie snack isn't the original spiraled chocolate cake — but for some snack cake fans, it's the most beloved. Taste tester and blogger BionicBear compared Swiss Rolls, HoHos, and Yodels, and found Little Debbie's version to be far and away the best-tasting snack. The chocolate coating tasted the most like "real chocolate," while the filling was appropriately sweet and fluffy.

Although all three snack cakes leave a lingering aftertaste, some believe Swiss Rolls offer the best balance of flavor, with a soft and crumbly texture. Visually, they hold their own, boasting a very reasonable size for an on-the-go confection, and an ideal ratio of moist cake to cream.

If you live on the West Coast, you might not have heard of Yodels. This snack, produced by Drake's Cakes, is most commonly distributed in the Eastern United States, unlike Swiss Rolls and HoHos, which are more widely available nationwide.

Visually, Yodels appear slightly larger than Swiss Rolls and HoHos, with a cake that is noticeably lighter brown when compared side by side. As for texture, Yodels are denser, which some taste testers find a bit too dry. They also contain slightly less cream than the other two cakes. The outer chocolate shell is nice and thick, though some have described its flavor as closer to wax or plastic than actual chocolate. Overall, Yodels provide a more cake-forward experience — less moist and creamy, but still enjoyable.

Food tasters who've compared the three snacks often place HoHos somewhere between Yodels and Swiss Rolls in terms of overall flavor and texture. The cake is moister than Yodels, but it's paired with a chocolate coating that still leans slightly waxy and artificial. HoHos are noticeably smaller and often appear more "crushed" than the other two snack cakes — something fans have taken note of with disappointment.

Like many products, the HoHos formula has undergone subtle changes over time — changes that many on team HoHos feel haven't been for the better. One user shared a photo of their HoHos on Facebook, claiming the treat has shrunk over the years. Commenters agreed, reminiscing about the days when HoHos were larger and wrapped individually in foil rather than today's plastic packaging. While some believe HoHos are one of those foods that no longer taste as good as they once did, the Hostess cake remains immensely popular.