The Absolute Best Way to Hack Box Cake Mix

In Absolute Best Tests, columnist Ella Quittner destroys the sanctity of her home kitchen in the name of the truth. She’s boiled dozens of eggs, mashed a concerning number of potatoes, and seared more Porterhouse steaks than she cares to recall. Today,…

In Absolute Best Tests, columnist Ella Quittner destroys the sanctity of her home kitchen in the name of the truth. She's boiled dozens of eggs, mashed a concerning number of potatoes, and seared more Porterhouse steaks than she cares to recall. Today, she tackles the childhood bake sale favorite: boxed cake mix.


Layer cake is among the most idealized of foods. How could fleecy layers of sweet crumb—painted with blankets of satin-soft buttercream and towering high on a pedestal—not be playing on an infinite loop in our minds? It has been the center of cinematic scenes of cultural import and is nestled deep in nostalgia for many of us. It's emblazoned across the covers of lauded culinary zines and cookbooks. It is pushed to the front of bakery display windows, casting its shadow onto forlorn cookies.

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These 10 Chocolatey Recipes Take the Cake (No Really, They’re All Cake)

If you grew up watching the 1996 classic Matilda on repeat, then I’d bet money that the Bruce Bogtrotter chocolate cake scene lives rent-free in your head. That impossibly rich, unmistakably chocolate cake plays a role greater than Bogtrotter himself—s…

If you grew up watching the 1996 classic Matilda on repeat, then I’d bet money that the Bruce Bogtrotter chocolate cake scene lives rent-free in your head. That impossibly rich, unmistakably chocolate cake plays a role greater than Bogtrotter himself—sure, eating the whole cake probably led to a stomachache, but it was also an undeniable triumph for every student under Miss Trunchbull’s rule. A symbol of defiance as much as it was one of resilience, this cake became the stuff of dreams for many a ‘90s baby, myself included.

While I've yet to find a cake that perfectly replicates what I imagine this fictional sweet would taste like, I've sampled some damn fine cakes along the way, including the 10 listed below. Read on if you, too, have been on a lifelong search for a Bruce Bogtrotter cake lookalike (or if you're just in the mood to bake something fun).

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Individual Irish Coffee Chocolate Pudding Cakes

Individual Irish Coffee Chocolate Pudding Cakes

These Irish Coffee Chocolate Pudding Cakes are inspired by Irish coffee, a classic coffee drink made with whipped cream and Irish whiskey. The coffee drink will warm you up on a cold night and this dessert, served warm, will do the same.

Chocolate pudding cakes are wonderful desserts that are …

The post Individual Irish Coffee Chocolate Pudding Cakes appeared first on Baking Bites.

Individual Irish Coffee Chocolate Pudding Cakes

These Irish Coffee Chocolate Pudding Cakes are inspired by Irish coffee, a classic coffee drink made with whipped cream and Irish whiskey. The coffee drink will warm you up on a cold night and this dessert, served warm, will do the same.

Chocolate pudding cakes are wonderful desserts that are perfect for treating yourself on a lazy night in. They’re delicious and easy to make, with a two-part batter that bakes into a separate cake and sauce in one dish in the oven. Pudding cakes are often baked in large casserole dishes and are simply spooned out to serve. This casual presentation means that, while they’re certainly indulgent, they’re rarely anyone’s top choice for an elegant dinner party dessert. One way to give your pudding cakes a visual upgrade is to bake them in ramekins and turn one large casserole into decadent individual portions.

The Irish Coffee Chocolate Pudding Cakes start with a chocolate batter that uses cocoa powder for a deep, bittersweet chocolate flavor and a generous dose of instant espresso. The cake batter comes together very easily and is portioned into ramekins. Next, each portion if batter is topped with a topping that sinks beneath the cake and turns into a saucy “pudding” during baking.  I describe the sauce ingredients as a “topping” in the recipe below because the ingredients are not mixed together before they are added to the ramekins. Instead, they are simply added to the top of each cake (like a “topping”) and become a sauce as the cake bakes. The sauce includes a dose of Irish whiskey for each dessert and you’ll get a subtle hint of it in each serving, though this has much, much less alcohol per serving than the coffee cocktail does. Serve the pudding cakes warm for best results.

The pudding cakes will be nicely puffed when they come out of the oven but, like a souffle, they will fall as they cool. The steam in the airy cake keeps the cake rising high while it is in the oven, however the whole dessert is so moist (there is a pudding layer under there!) that it simply sinks slightly as it cools. You’ll still get the lovely layers of cake and sauce in every bite, however. I like to serve mine plain, but you can use the sunken cake to your advantage by filling the depression with a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of ice cream before serving.

Individual Irish Coffee Chocolate Pudding Cakes

Individual Irish Coffee Chocolate Pudding Cakes
Cake
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp instant espresso powder
or 1 tbsp instant coffee powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

Topping
6 tbsp brown sugar
6 tsp (3 tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tbsp Irish whiskey
3/4 cup hot coffee

Preheat oven to 350F. Place 6 8-oz ramekins on a baking sheet.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in cocoa powder, instant espresso powder and vanilla extract until ingredients are well-combined. Stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by the milk. Stir in remaining flour mixture. Divide mixture evenly into prepared ramekins.
Top each ramekin with 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp cocoa powder, 1 tbsp Irish whisky and 2 tbsp hot coffee. Do not mix.
Place tray with ramekins in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the tops of the puddings are set and the sauce is bubbling slightly around the edges of the ramekins.
Allow puddings to cool for at least 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6.

The post Individual Irish Coffee Chocolate Pudding Cakes appeared first on Baking Bites.

Our 55 Favorite Chocolate Recipes (Because You Can Never Have Too Many)

This article is a part of Chocolate Week—seven days of recipes and stories, all chocolate—presented by our friends at Guittard. A fifth-generation family business, Guittard has been crafting an array of chocolate offerings (like top-quality baking chip…

This article is a part of Chocolate Week—seven days of recipes and stories, all chocolate—presented by our friends at Guittard. A fifth-generation family business, Guittard has been crafting an array of chocolate offerings (like top-quality baking chips, cocoa powder, and baking bars) in San Francisco since 1868.


Our best chocolate recipes hardly need an introduction. There’s layer cakes, chocolate cookies, chocolate frostings, mousses and puddings, pies and tarts, and everything in between. But I know you really just want to get to the recipes, so let’s do just that.

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What Is Prince Regent Cake, As Seen on ‘The Great British Bake Off’?

The fun of watching The Great British Bake Off is yes the competition, yes the British humor, but mainly the chance to learn about an entirely new baked good popular across the pond. In this week’s technical challenge on the popular Netflix show, the r…

The fun of watching The Great British Bake Off is yes the competition, yes the British humor, but mainly the chance to learn about an entirely new baked good popular across the pond. In this week’s technical challenge on the popular Netflix show, the remaining contestants were tasked with baking a Prince Regent Cake, also known as Prinzregententorte. Thin layers of white cake and chocolate ganache are stacked high for a beautiful slice of cake. But what is Prince Regent Cake anyway, and what makes it worthy of the show’s most challenging category?

According to The Great British Bake Off, Prince Regent Cake was created in the 19th century to celebrate Prince Regent Luitpold, who was the de facto ruler of Bavaria (a landlocked state within Germany) and reigned from 1886–1912. His son, Ludwig the III, was the last king of Bavaria and served until 1918. At the time, Bavaria consisted of eight administrative districts—hence the eight layers of sponge cake that are used to make the cake. It’s a serious showstopper, but is certainly no easy feat to assemble.

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The Best Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe

This is the best homemade chocolate cake recipe! Super easy to make and incredibly moist! This chocolate cake has a fluffy texture and a perfect chocolate flavor. We’ve been making this recipe for years and it always turns out incredibl…

This is the best homemade chocolate cake recipe! Super easy to make and incredibly moist! This chocolate cake has a fluffy texture and a perfect chocolate flavor. We’ve been making this recipe for years and it always turns out incredibly moist and delicious. Serve it with our creamy chocolate buttercream or without frosting as a simple snacking chocolate cake. […]

The post The Best Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar and Charm.

41 Spring-tastic Easter Cake Recipe Ideas

After a satisfying Easter brunch or dinner packed with lamb and ham (and all your favorite sides), the kids will likely steal away to a corner of the house, peeling open piece after piece of candy. But what about the adults? As with any good holiday me…

After a satisfying Easter brunch or dinner packed with lamb and ham (and all your favorite sides), the kids will likely steal away to a corner of the house, peeling open piece after piece of candy. But what about the adults? As with any good holiday meal, it’s important to end Easter on a sweet, special note. Our 41 favorite Easter cake recipes featuring beautiful pastels and family-favorite springtime flavors will draw everyone back to the table.

1. Caroline's Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is a popular choice for Easter thanks to the Easter bunny connection, but it’s also a flat-out delicious dessert that should be served year-round. This multi-layer version is everything a cake should be without too much fuss.

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The Fudgy Snacking Cake That Won Your Hearts (& Our Recipe Contest)

Our latest recipe contest, Your Best Snacking Cake, invited a huge wave of absolutely delicious-looking recipes from our community of talented cake bakers. With so many delicious entries, we really had our work cut out for us. We tested, tasted, tasted…

Our latest recipe contest, Your Best Snacking Cake, invited a huge wave of absolutely delicious-looking recipes from our community of talented cake bakers. With so many delicious entries, we really had our work cut out for us. We tested, tasted, tasted a little more (it's cake!) whittled it down, and finally decided on two finalists: Clintonhillbilly's Cinnamon-Anise Snack Cake and Jessie Sheehan's Chocolate-Carrot Snacking Cake.

How did we pick a winner? Staring down these two outstanding confections was no solution at all, but thankfully we received an huge volume of votes. It was a very close race, but a winner has been chosen. Cue the drumroll...

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A Few Quick Cakes to Start 2021 Right – Your Best Snacking Cake Contest Finalists

Our Top Two Snacking Cakes – Plus an Honorable Mention

Before everyone dives into their food-related New Year’s resolutions (a la juice cleanses or Whole 30) to pare down that holiday (or quarantine) weight, we offer you our two lovely finalists in ou…

Our Top Two Snacking Cakes - Plus an Honorable Mention

Before everyone dives into their food-related New Year's resolutions (a la juice cleanses or Whole 30) to pare down that holiday (or quarantine) weight, we offer you our two lovely finalists in our latest Contest. We asked our community members for their simple but delicious cake recipes that were one layer and came together in one bowl. If frosting was included, it had to have less than five ingredients and also come together in one bowl. Our community delivered.

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A Chocolate Cake That Celebrates Mothers—Lost & Found

Good food is worth a thousand words—sometimes more. In My Family Recipe, a writer shares the story of a single dish that’s meaningful to them and their loved ones.

In the first months after my husband, Erik, died while mountain climbing in 2014, I s…

Good food is worth a thousand words—sometimes more. In My Family Recipe, a writer shares the story of a single dish that's meaningful to them and their loved ones.


In the first months after my husband, Erik, died while mountain climbing in 2014, I spent much of my time shuffling about my sister’s house in a teary, sleepless haze. I wore rumpled variations of pajamas or sweats every day, and I had no appetite—everything I tried to eat tasted like the color grey. Prior to the accident that took his life, before I knew the term “young widow,” I had loved food.

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