parenting BY dummies has moved!

You will be automatically redirected to the new address. If that does not occur, visit
http://parentingbydummies.com
and update your bookmarks.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Cookie Time Tuesday Goes Cake

Because when someone claims that they have the recipe for the "Best Ever" chocolate cake I simply can't ignore it.

So, I decided to put Better Homes and Gardens to the test and see if it was the truth.

Since this was only my second real attempt at a from scratch cake (first time was in college to impress Hubby who never even tasted it b/c I forgot to put in the eggs which means it was far from being impressive), I decided to forgo help from the dudes on this one but, naturally, there was someone on hand for taste testing purposes.



Best-Ever Chocolate Cake (from BH&G Our Best Recipes Cookbook) with Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting



I decided that, because I'm lazy I followed the recipe exactly (minus a few unintentional tweaks), instead of typing it here, step by step, I would just link to it this week so that you can check it out if you want to.

Instead, I'm going to tell you what I, the anti-Bakerella-dumb-mom, learned about baking cakes.

1. Don't bother with the from scratch business. The Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Butter Recipe Fudge Cake Mix is da bomb. There is no reason I can see to spend a whole crap load of time measuring, mixing (which was like a total of 7 minutes straight; serious workout for us flabby armers), and slaving to get the homemade one just right. Besides, the butter recipe one is like super close to the same thing because you have to add your own butter and you bake it in your own oven which is really all "from scratch" is, right?

2. Don't leave a baking cake unattended. Not even for a second. Because before you know it, you're distracted by giving the baby a bath, and then you don't hear the timer all the way downstairs, beeping it's little heart out until your cake is burned well beyond the point of moistness. Cakes are all about the moist factor, people. And, it seriously only takes like minutes to screw the whole thing up. That is, unless you like your cakes tough and chewy.

3. Cover it up. Tightly. Don't just think you can set a little bowl over top of it and leave it 'till morning. The lack of airtightness allows every last shred of moist you may not have already baked out of it to escape. And that, sucks.

4. Pour evenly. Otherwise you wind up with Hideous Gangster Lean Cake...



which doesn't affect the taste at all, but definitely takes away from the cute factor of the thing. And, let's face it, when it comes to cakes (and puppies, and other people's kids you have to babysit) cute is one of the most important factors. I mean, really. Which of the following would you rather eat, based on looks alone?

Cake A (from cowizm.com)?



Or, Cake B (from cakewrecks.blogspot.com)?



I rest my case.

5. Skip the cake, but not the frosting. The chocolate-sour cream frosting that goes along with this cake is AWE-SOME. If the cake does not come out badly burned and hideous to look at, the frosting alone is enough to help it claim the Best-Ever Chocolate Cake title. De. Li. Cious.

Wanna share your Best Ever Chocolate Cake recipe? I'm obviously in the market for one!

Don't forget to enter HERE to win the Cheerios and Books, and HERE to learn how to submit you fugly photos for my Merry Effing Christmas Photo Contest, you know, so you can be mocked mercilessly on my blog!

14 comments:

TuTu's Bliss said...

LOL! I am all about faking it. Th icing in a can is the best! Fill up some cake icecream cones 2/3 full with boxed cake batter, bake then top them with whipcream or canned icing and voila. It looks like adorable soft serve ice cream. I'm a faux Martha ;)

Unknown said...

That Cow Cake is AMAZING! :D

Emily said...

Cooking cakes from scratch is so not time efficient...us mums need to multi-task and those packet mixes are perfect for that!

Kate Coveny Hood said...

I have to admit...I do like box cake mix. So I never make it from scratch. But I really should try at some point to see what all the fuss is about...

Evonne said...

As mush as I would like top do the whole from scratch thing, Duncan and Betty are 2 of my BFFs.

That chocolate cake looks heavenly!

Jennifer said...

I never seem to have all the ingredients I need to make a cake from scratch, but that cake looks totally freaking awesome. All you need is a big glass of milk.

Terin said...

LOL @ cake from scratch. People still do that? I'm all about that boxed stuff.

Anonymous said...

I loved this post! Too funny. I'm with you. I'd rather buy the dang cake mix, add butter, eggs and pop it in the oven. I especially loved the photo of your gangsta lean cake. Kudos for trying it out anyway. Loved your blog. Thanks so much for taking the time out to stop by mine. Have a great day. :)

Kristi, Hello...Is This On?
@TweetingMama

Anonymous said...

Well I do have to say I'm actually quite partial to making everything from scratch. But it probably has something to do w/ the pastry chef thing.
I actually have found what is, imo, the best, most fabulous chocolate cake EVER. I'll have to email it to you.

The one thing you forgot about making cakes tho: make sure to store them some place where no one knows it's location. Otherwise you'll get up in the morning & find little tiny handfulls missing. Or all the icing has been licked off one finger at a time. I think kids have some kind of internal alarm. Wake up in the middle of the night long after everyone else is asleep & go find cake.

The (Un)Experienced Mom said...

Absolutely use a cake mix versus baking from scratch.

I would love to pass on to you this chocolate pudding cake in a crock pot recipe my friend gave me. Except I totally screwed it up! TOTALLY! As in, when I scooped it out, there was green gunk on the bottom of it. I think it was overcooked pudding, but couldn't be sure. No one wanted to try it!

Emily's Family said...

What a cute blog...you have!!!

I would love if you come to visit mine and maybe let your fans know I have a giveaway for Boogie Wipes and more to come.

http://couponmommyof2.blogspot.com/2009/11/boogies-wipes-review-and-giveaway.html

Tracie said...

I use the same cake mix that you recommended. And I agree with you about the made from scratch icing. Yummy!

Anonymous said...

LOL
Awesome post. I've attempted some difficult baking, but cakes from scratch is one of the things that scare me. But if you can try it, so can I.

Traci said...

The smile says everything! Good looking kid.

Thanks for the faking it version -- for me that is major cooking,

Love the blog. Thanks for stopping by to say hi.
:-)

Giving away two copies of the movie Extract starring Jason Bateman and Ben Affleck. Contest ends 4/2/10.
Related Posts with Thumbnails

Show Some Love

Vote for my blog parenting BY dummies on Mom Blog Network


Vote for my blog parentingBYdummies on Mom Blog Network
My site was nominated for Best Parenting Blog!
RuffleButt Logo


HalfButtonHPM

the mom blogs