If there was ever a time to settle back with a nice slice of cake, then surely now is that time.
The thing is, a lot of folk don’t want to be bothered the trouble of making a cake – even when you use a cake mix. I mean, there is oil, and eggs, and measuring and stuff, but…
What if there wasn’t?
This (quite tasty, I may add) cake was made with just two ingredients, and no measuring.
(!)
Full disclosure: my friend, Barb, who says that she cannot bake, still managed not to have her cake turn out when she tried this method at home, but I think there is something about her oven. That’s ok, Barb, we still love you, and wish we could have back porch get-togethers again.
Back to the cake – YES! TWO INGREDIENTS and NO MEASURING!
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
•1 cherry cake mix
•12 oz Coca Cola (or Pepsi)
Cake Pan Coating:
•1 tbsp flour
•1 tbsp solid shortening
•1 tbsp canola oil
Frosting:
•4 oz cream cheese, softened
•1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
•1 tbsp vanilla
•1 tbsp maraschino cherry juice
•1/8 tsp black pepper
•2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Heat your oven to whatever the directions on the back of the box suggest – more than likely 350º.
Pour the Coke (and nothing else) into the cake mix in a large mixing bowl and beat according tto those back o’ the box direction.
Now, if you want truly easy cake, go ahead and transfer the batter to a 13×9 pan and bake for the time listed, again, on the back o’ the cake mix box.
But…
I was planning this cake as dessert for one of the very few times anymore that we were actually having friends over for dinner, so I wanted a bit more of a presentation.
Which meant my bundt pan, which meant the most amazing cake pan coating I have ever come across.
Stir one tablespoon each of solid shortening (Crisco), canola oil, and flour together in a small bowl until nicely blended.
Don’t worry about any lumps, they will disappear in baking.
Brush this mixture evenly over your cake pan(s) of choice – I went with a classic bundt pan, tho’ this has worked a treat with more involved “cathedral” or “flower” pans.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake according to the directions – you know where by now.
Once the cake has baked, allow to cool completely on a rack before turning out onto your cake pan.
To see how well that cake pan coating works, note the image at the beginning of this post.
Cake baked and cooled, let us frost!
Whip the cream cheese with the butter together in a mixing bowl until fluffy, then stir in the black pepper (trust me, it’s good), vanilla, and, if you have some, maraschino cherry juice.
Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until you have the frosting at the consistency you prefer. If the frosting seems too thick or too runny in the bowl, add a tablespoon or so of milk or cream to thin it out, or more confectioners’ sugar to thicken it.
Frost your cake and stash in the fridge (or at least someplace cool) until ready to serve.
Usually, when I make a cake, I save the extra frosting for a friend, who will then save it for a gluten-free treat for herself (if she can hide it from the kids), but this time, I just spread it on extra thick over the cake.
Nobody complained.