cake mix

Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Leah Short — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 15:23:40 +0000

I loved the way the Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies looked for Cookie Baking Day. So festive with the colored sprinkles and just so darn fun! You could really play around with the color of the sprinkles and make these for just about any occasion. Green, white, and red sprinkles would be really festive for the big day coming up soon!

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Deep Dark Mocha Cake

Leah Short — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 18:58:14 +0000

Forgive me for all these gnarly pictures I’m posting lately. I’m still playing catch up from holiday goodies and I just never get good pictures then. You’d never speak to me if I didn’t share this Deep Dark Mocha Cake with you though. I could not wait to get a slice of this! The name is a bit confusing because there’s no dark chocolate in sight, so I’m not sure why it’s named “deep dark.” When it tastes this good, I don’t care what you call it! Take an ordinary chocolate cake and soak it with espresso, next add a layer of cream cheese filling, then cover the entire cake in chocolate ganache. Done, done, and done!

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Mocha Toffee Chocolate Cookies

Leah Short — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 15:00:36 +0000

If you’re a coffee lover, you’ll love these Mocha Toffee Chocolate Cookies! Soft, chewy, chocolatey cookies sprinkled with mini chocolate chips and toffee bits and a taste of espresso. The espresso is really strong initially and gets more subdued the older the cookie. I loved the contrast between the chewy cookie and the crunchy toffee bits.

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Banana Toffee Picnic Cupcakes

Leah Short — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 12:59:11 +0000

These Banana Toffee Picnic Cupcakes are the perfect dessert to keep summer alive and get you excited about fall. Yes, despite all the pumpkin everything that’s popping up, it’s still summer. That’s why I love these cupcakes. They’re called picnic cupcakes because they don’t need frosting, which makes them easier to transport. The sweet banana reminds me of banana bread, so it’s just a hint of all those comforting flavors headed our way for fall. The best of both seasons I say.

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Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes with Lemon Curd and Mascarpone Frosting

Leah Short — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 12:00:13 +0000

Longest name for a dessert ever, right? I saw Giada De Laurentiis make these cupcakes on her show recently and instantly knew I’d found the perfect dessert for my coworker’s birthday. He’s a big lemon lover (see the cupcakes I made him last year) and I just had to taste that frosting. Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes with Lemon Curd and Mascarpone Frosting blew my mind! So much so, that I may or may not have eaten five the night I baked them. Oops!

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Gooey Butter Cookies

Leah Short — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 15:06:39 +0000

You’ve heard of Gooey Butter Cake, right? It’s what it sounds like: ooey, gooey, and full o’ butter! So naturally when I saw Gooey Butter Cookies, they made the Cookie Baking Day list. This cookie is a great one to have in the mix if you’re like me and tend to bake a lot of chocolate cookies. (Yep, there are folks out there that don’t prefer the chocolate ones, what?!) Funny thing is this cookie ended up being a very close second to my favorite of the ones we baked this year. It’s really more like a little bite of cake than cookie and this girl loved it!

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Milky Way Red Velvet Cake Cookies

Leah Short — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 14:31:03 +0000

I think it’s safe to say there are two kinds of cookie lovers. You either go for the soft and chewy variety or crunchy and crispy. I am all the way soft and chewy. I don’t care how chocolate-y or how delicious, if it’s crisp throughout, I won’t eat it. That’s what happened with these Milky Way Red Velvet Cake Cookies. They are crispy and crunchy and just not my thing. However, mom loved these and so did a bunch of her coworkers. The few that I did eat were seriously packed with chocolate, but I couldn’t get over the texture. So if you lean to the crispy cookie side, these are for you!

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Whoopie Pie Cake

Leah Short — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:21:10 +0000

Here’s a cake that is off the charts. Seriously, it will never get better than this. I first spied a Whoopie Pie Cake on the Cookies and Cups blog. I think my mouth hung open for a good 5 minutes while I lovingly stared at those delicious pics. What a great idea! One giant whoopie pie! Then of course when I think whoopie pie, I think back to these Cookie Dough Whoopie Pies I made from The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook. If you’ve read that post, you know they rank super high on my list of all-time favorite desserts. So heck yeah I was going to merge these two ideas and make a giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Whoopie Pie Cake!

So, how’s it taste?

Um, it smacked me in the face with it’s fabulousness. I made this cake for another birthday in the office and it took every single ounce of willpower not to dive right in after I made it. I almost texted the birthday boy to ask permission to go ahead and cut a slice. I’m not joking. I mean look at it! Two layers of moist devil’s food cake sandwiching the best filling in the world. The filling tastes just like chocolate chip cookie dough. It’s got a hint of saltiness and is a tad bit grainy from the brown sugar, just like cookie dough.

As if all that wasn’t enough, let’s pour some rich, velvety smooth chocolate ganache over the entire cake. Look at those puddles of chocolate. It’s like they’re reaching out to you, daring you to not take a bite. I could bury my face in this and be happy for a good hour or two trying to eat my way out of it. (I will point out that it’s a lot of ganache. You know I’m a chocolate lover, but it pooled off the sides too much. Next time I make this, I’ll reduce the amount.)

I made this using a 9×13 pan, but you could use two 9-inch round pans if you want it to really look like a giant whoopie pie. I might have to make this again just to see which shape I prefer. All in the name of research, right? If you don’t have two 9×13 pans, don’t worry. I made mine with one pan. Just bake one cake and let it cool a bit in the pan. Finish cooling the first cake on a wire rack while you wash the pan and repeat. It’s ok for the cake batter to wait while the first one bakes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Whoopie Pie Cake

cake, ganache, and concept by Cookies & Cups
filling by The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook by Lindsay Landis

Ingredients:

Cake
1 box devil's food cake mix (prepare per package directions) + 1 extra egg
cocoa powder for dusting the pan

Filling
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. For the cake, preheat oven to 350F. Butter two 9x13 pans and dust with cocoa powder. Tap gently to remove any excess and set aside. If you only have one pan, bake one at at time.

2. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions, adding an extra egg. This makes the cake a bit more sturdy. Split batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely.

3. For the filling, beat together the butter and brown sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in flour and salt on low speed until incorporated. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. For the ganache, bring heavy cream to almost a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips. Keep stirring until smooth. Cool for about 10 minutes and then pour over top of cake. Use a small offset spatula to spread to the edges. Ganache will get thicker as it cools.

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Tall, Dark, and Stout Chocolate Layer Cake

Leah Short — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:38:50 +0000

You may have noticed it’s been a little skimpy around So How’s It Taste for a few months. There’s good reason for that and today’s the perfect day for all kinds of celebrating! That’s why I’m showing off this Tall, Dark, and Stout Chocolate Layer Cake! Before I get to this deliciously amazing cake, I’ve got some explaining to do. A few months back, I was laid off from my job of almost 7 years. Laid. Off. That has never happened to me and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. My world stopped. I was afraid to buy Oreos. I didn’t need Oreos and I suddenly couldn’t afford them if there was going to be an end to my income. Cue meltdown in the grocery store. Cue meltdown for days actually. And cue the amazing support from my mom and my friends. I am one very lucky girl.

Fast forward to a month later, and my company that just laid me off, offered me my job back. Trust me, I wanted to tell them no. I wanted to tell them lots of things in not so nice language, but I’m not a risk-taker. I’m a planner and any job was better than no job, especially around the holidays. I stayed and I wasn’t happy. But that’s not where this story ends! Yesterday was my last day at that company. A few weeks ago, I accepted a job offer for a new adventure! Soon I’ll be starting a new chapter with an amazing group of people. It was bittersweet leaving my old company (and I’m missing my friends there already), but I am so excited to be joining such a great group and looking forward to my first day!

Not only do I have a new job to look forward to, but today is my birthday AND it’s snowing in Nashville! So you can tell why today is the perfect day for celebrating…and for cake!

So, how’s it taste?

It looks like it would be over-the-top rich, right? It’s not. It’s perfect. The stout is subtle, but you can definitely taste it and it works wonders enhancing the devil’s food cake. I thought the frosting would be thick and rich, but it’s actually quite fluffy and airy. It thickens in the fridge, but you’ll want it to be at room temperature so you can spread it easily over the layers. It’s almost like a mousse and so light, that it’s dangerous! I felt like I could eat several pieces in one sitting! The touch of the caramel drizzle was just enough sweet for balance. I like how this cake is messy and dripping with caramel, too. I topped it with Rolos candies cut in half, but any chocolate/caramel garnish would work. Chocolate curls would be great, too. Whether your celebrating a new job, a birthday, or just the fact that it’s another day and you need chocolate in it…this cake is for you!

Tall, Dark, and Stout Chocolate Layer Cake

by Betty Crocker
serves 16

Ingredients:

Cake
1 box devil's food cake mix
1 1/4 cups stout beer
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

Frosting
12 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup butter

Filling
6 tbsp. caramel topping

Garnish
Rolos, cut in half

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottoms only of three 9- or 8-inch round cake pans. Make cake batter as directed on box, using cake mix, beer, oil and eggs. Pour about 1 1/2 cups batter into each pan.

2. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely.

3. Meanwhile, for frosting, place chocolate in medium mixing bowl. In 2-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream and butter to just boiling over medium heat. Pour cream mixture over chocolate; stir with whisk until melted and smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour; stir. Refrigerate about 1 to 1 1/2 hours more or until spreading consistency.

4. Place 1 cake layer on serving plate. Frost top of layer with 1 cup of the frosting. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons caramel topping. Top with another cake layer, 1 cup of the frosting and remaining 3 tablespoons caramel topping. Top with remaining cake layer and frosting. Garnish with Rolos, if desired.

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Butterscotch Spice Cookies

Leah Short — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 16:40:08 +0000

Another great batch of cookies from Cookie Baking Day 2012 are these Butterscotch Spice Cookies. I found them on the Duncan Hines web site a year ago, but decided not to make them. Then a few months ago, while I was baking Apple Cider Cupcakes, I looked on the back of the cake mix box and there was the recipe for Butterscotch Spice Cookies. They sounded so good and I knew they had to make the list this year.

So, how’s it taste?

If you’re a fan of butterscotch, you’ll love these. I’m a fan, but I always forget about butterscotch chips and head for the semisweet. Their flavor is nicely complimented by the spices in the cake mix. Since these cookies start out from a cake mix, they are incredibly easy to make. Be warned the dough is really greasy. Almost to the point you think they won’t turn out well. But press on because they are awesome! Once they bake, they lose that greasy sheen and turn into super tasty cookies.

Other goodies from Cookie Baking Day 2012:
Cream Cheese Spritz
Cranberry Orange
Snickersnaps
Mint Chocolate Pudding
Mexican Wedding

Butterscotch Spice Cookies

Duncan Hines
makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients:

1 box Duncan Hines® Moist Deluxe® Spice Cake Mix
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F

2. Combine cake mix, eggs, oil, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at low speed with electric mixer until blended. Stir in butterscotch chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2-inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

3. Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until set. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheets. Remove to cooling racks. Cool completely. Store in airtight container.

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