I was all set to make those cupcakes until I realized, I didn't have any cake mix in the cupboard. I generally like to keep a cake mix or two in the cupboard when I feel like cheating (plus I'm not that great at making home baked cakes). So I looked up some home made chocolate cake recipes and every single one I came across recquired milk, and eggs...two items that much to my horror were also NOT in my fridge, and I was unable to dash to the store and get what I needed.
Thanks to friend I was able to get a recipe that worked FANTASTICALLY, and even I couldn't mess it up. That's a win win situation right there!
Chocolate Cake Recipe
- 1 2/3 Cup All Purpose Flour (Do not use self rising flour for this recipe)
- 1 Cup packed brown sugar or granulated sugar (I chose to use the brown sugar as I've never had that in a cake before and it was really good!)
- 1/4 Cup Cocoa powder
- 1tsp Baking Soda (don't do what I did and accidentally put in baking powder and then realize your mistake and have to carefully scoop it back out and put in the right stuff, that's what I get for not reading in carefully!)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Cup Water
- 1/3 Cup Vegetable oil
- 1tsp Vanilla
- 1 tsp Vinegar (yes vinegar)
- 1/2 Cup chocolate chips (I didn't add these as I didn't have any at the moment, but it still tasted delicious without them).
- Prehate oven to 350 degrees
- Mix: Flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt with fork.
- Mix in remaining ingredients.
I had saved 2 small tomato sauce cans and washed them up, peeled off the paper and took off any glue on them. I sprayed them with oil and lightly floured the insides, I then filled them half way with cake mix (Filled the first one too full and it kind of ... exploded over the edges of the can as it filled, oops).
I baked them in the oven on a cookie sheet until a knife inserted in the middle came out clean (I'm awful at timing stuff I just check it a lot and keep poking it with a knife or tooth pick to see when it's done).
I removed them from the oven and let them cool a bit, then I turned the cans upside down on a plate and gently knocked the cake out of the can. While it cooled I prepared the cans for more cake in the oven.
I then carefully cut the rounded ends off of the cooled cakes and then sat them in the freezer to finish cooling.
I prepared my frosting.
- 2 packages of room temperature cream cheese (8oz packages)
- 1 stick of butter
- 2 cups of powdered sugar (you are technically supposed to sift it, but I don't have a sift at the moment so I skip that part and it comes out just fine).
- 1 tsp of vanilla (or whatever flavoring you would like to use).
- Mix the cream cheese and butter together first, once it is smooth add in the vanilla. Once that is smooth add in the powdered sugar slowly.
Once your cakes are cooled you can spread the frosting on, place in fridge to set and then you can finish decorating later.
I wanted to use red strips of Fruit Roll Ups, but lo and behold I of COURSE was out of those. By that time I could ask the Husband to run to the store, so he looked for those roll ups, and of course they didn't have solid red ones. They had red ones with tongue tattoos, red and blue ones, purple ones, etc etc...but no solid red ones. So instead he picked up a bag of Tizzler pull and peels (NOT my favorite candy in the world). It served it's purpose.
Below is the finished product (one of 6). They were pretty tasty! The kids definetely loved them.
We watched the Lorax this evening before the kids went to bed, I love that movie. I was kind of wanting to show the kids the movie the "Cat in the Hat" But I wanted a cartoon version of it, I was never a fan of the Mike Meyers version, I didn't find it very kid friendly, I was very appalled when I watched that movie for the first time! I figured poor ol' Dr. Seuss was rolling in his grave from all the suggestive behavior and NOT kid friendliness in that movie! My kids have never watched that one yet.
We'll see what kind of little activities we come up with tomorrow to do! I think I'm pretty well out of food ideas to go along with the whole Dr. Seuss theme!
I wonder when the kids go back to school on Monday if they will do any Dr. Seuss themed activities? I'm betting they will!
Mae
