A Twinkie is an American snack cake, marketed as a "Golden Sponge Cake with Creamy Filling." It was formerly made and distributed by Hostess Brands. The brand is currently owned by private equity firms Apollo Global Management and C. Dean Metropoulos and Company. During bankruptcy proceedings, Twinkie production was suspended on November 21, 2012, and resumed after an absence of several weeks on American store shelves, becoming available again nationwide on July 15, 2013.