Life's Little Detours: Surprise Devil's Food Cake

Yes, it's another cake. I make a lot of cakes in the months between April and July. I get bored making the "same" cakes. I try to get a little creative when the cake is for an adult and I can try something different without disappointment. Like the time I made my niece her requested white cake but decided to dye the inside to match the outside..she did not believe me that the camo colored cake was still a "white" cake like she requested and she wouldn't eat any of her own birthday cake. I felt terrible and won't make that mistake with a kid again. But adults, adults are fair game if they don't make a "request".

My friend Elizabeth is one such adult. I tried to slyly find out her favorite cake but she didn't bite. So, I got to pick! I make cupcakes called Surprise Cupcakes. They are a "surprise" because in the middle is this yummy, creamy, chocolate chip center. I LOVE them, as does everyone that tries one. I wanted to see if I could accomplish the same thing with a cake. The simple answer is no. I didn't receive the same, "what is in there" response after they took a bite BUT the cake was still good. It had that little extra something, something.

I will provide the instructions on how to make the cupcakes if you want the WOW factor but if you're looking for a good cake..this works. I also have to tell you something about the cupcakes. The first time I made them, I made them from scratch. Yes, from scratch because that is how I found the recipe. I tasted them and thought, hmmmm, ok?? Devil's Food tastes the same to me. I brought my cake mix Surprise cupcakes to a party and someone who bakes everything from scratch ate one. She said, "Your cupcakes are so good". I said thank you. She continued to say, "I like that you bake from scratch, I've had these when they use a cake mix and they are so nasty". I just smiled. Sometimes you don't need to share your secrets:)

So..you'll need
Devil's Food Cake Mix prepared according to directions
1 brick of Cream Cheese~softened
1 C Sugar
1 Beaten Egg
Pinch of salt
1/2 bag mini Chocolate Chips

Mix cake mix in bowl. Mix egg, cream cheese, sugar and salt in another bowl. When mixed, add chocolate chips.

Spray 2 round cake pans with cooking spray. Equally distribute cake mix. Drop big spoonfuls (I used a tablespoon from my silverware drawer) around the cakes. Bake cake according to box directions, you don't need extra time. Tester should come out clean (test a spot that doesn't have cream cheese).

Cool cake 5-10 minutes and invert on plate to finish cooling.

IF you want to make cupcakes, pour batter half full into cupcake liners. Drop a
spoonful of cream cheese mixture into center and bake according to cupcake
directions on box. Makes about 28 cupcakes. Frost with your favorite chocolate
canned frosting. YES, you know my secret..I use canned frosting on these babies;)

Now, for the middle filling/frosting. When I made this frosting the first time, I thought it was ok. I think the ingredients skewed my taste buds. But, my son LOVED it, as did a few others, so I made it again. I will admit, it has grown on me and it is a really nice alternative to whipped cream because it doesn't have to be refrigerated. You can also add a couple of T of Cocoa powder for a chocolate flavor or couple of T of Lemon Juice for a lemon cake.

Cooked frosting
5 T Flour
1 C Milk
1 t Vanilla
1 C Butter
1 C Granulated Sugar (not Powdered Sugar!)

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens, looks like pudding when it thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla.

While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together with your mixer until light and fluffy~you can't cream too much, you want the sugar to basically dissolve into the butter. The longer you beat it, the better they mix. Then add the cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.

Put cake number one down on a pretty plate, put a nice layer of this in the middle and top with cake number two.

Now, for the outside frosting. My FAVORITE cooked fudge frosting.

Fudge Frosting
1/2 C Butter
1/3 C Milk
4 T Cocoa
Bring to a boil. Add
2 t Vanilla
3 1/2 C Powdered Sugar
Whisk until smooth.

This is a little tricky to frost with because it's runny. Pour on the top of the cake slowly and kind of spread as it around, it will over flow down the sides, spread it around. It takes some patience but you can slowly add frosting to the sides to get it all frosted.

Now, you can leave it or you can make it pretty with some white butter cream. Either way works great:)

Beat your egg

Add the softened cream cheese, sugar and pinch of salt and mix well

Add your mini chocolate chips

Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture around the cake

Cool your cakes according to directions, test an area without cream cheese to make sure the cake is cooked. Cool 10 minutes in pan and invert onto plates