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
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!
