I'm back from Italy (and am currently hanging out in LA for the week). Thanks to all of you who left recommendations on my last post! I saw many beautiful sights and ate lots of terrific food. Didn't really eat many baked goods, had mostly gelato for desserts, which was wonderful. No Italy posts today, maybe sometime in the future.
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Instead, today I'm posting about a very American cake. Two weekends ago, my friends and I had a BBQ/picnic, and I, of course, offered to bring dessert. I wanted to try something new: a cake that involved poking holes and pouring liquids on top, a poke-and-pour cake if you will, like "Tres Leches" or "Jello Poke" Cake (both of which I still need to make). For my first poke-and-pour cake, I finally settled on "Better than Sex" Cake (with a name like that, how could I resist ;) haha). Turns out though, there are actually two versions of the cake, one chocolate and one tropical. Naturally, I made both.
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My conclusion is that these are great potluck cakes. They may not be the prettiest cakes, but they're widely appealing and provide just enough servings. The chocolate version appeals to chocolate and caramel lovers. It's for those days where you need a bit of sinful decadence in you life. Covered in condensed milk and caramel, it's a sweet, rich chocolate cake, made even better topped off with homemade whipped cream and chopped toffee candy bars.
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The tropical version is perfect for those who prefer vanilla and fruit flavors. It's a yellow cake topped with a crushed pineapple syrup, vanilla pudding, sliced bananas, whipped cream, chopped pecans, and roasted coconut. To make it even better, I added a splash of rum to the syrup. It's the perfect cake for a hot summer day, refreshingly cool with tropical flavors that transport you to a beachy paradise. Which cake is better? You'll just have to make both to find out ;).
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Better than Sex Cake (Chocolate)
adapted from food.com
chocolate cake recipe (use measurements for the small cake)
1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 oz) jar of caramel topping
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Heath bars (or 12 mini Heath bars), chopped
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Bake your chocolate cake in a 9" x 13" cake pan. When it comes out of the oven, poke it all over (I used both a chopstick and a fork).
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First pour the whole can of condensed milk over the cake.
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Microwave 8 oz of caramel topping for 30 seconds, or until it is easily pourable, and then pour it over the cake. Let the cake cool to room temperature. Cover it in plastic wrap and let it chill for at least 24 hours, even longer is better as it gives the cake more time to absorb the condensed milk and caramel.
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When ready to serve, prepare the whipped cream. Pour the cold whipped cream in a bowl and use an electric mixer on medium speed to whip the cream until it is slightly thickened. Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Increase the mixer to high speed and continue whipping until you get soft peaks. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake and top with the chopped Heath bars.
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Better than Sex Cake (Tropical)
adapted from My Mom's Recipe
yellow cake recipe (below)
1 (20 oz can) crushed pineapple
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp rum (optional)
2 (3.5 oz) packages instant vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
2 bananas (optional)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup flaked coconut, toasted
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
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Bake your yellow cake in a 9" x 13" cake pan. While the cake is baking, prepare the pineapple syrup. Place the crushed pineapple with the juice in a medium saucepan and add the 3/4 cup sugar. Heat over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved, then remove from the heat.
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When the cake comes out of the oven, poke it all over (I used both a chopstick and a fork). Add the rum to the pineapple syrup.
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Then pour the syrup over the whole cake. Let cool to room temp.
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Mix the instant pudding with the milk.
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Spread it over the cake.
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Thinly slice the bananas then layer over the pudding. Cover the cake with plastic wrap then chill for at least 24 hours, even longer is better as it lets the cake absorb the syrup which moistens the cake.
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When ready to serve, prepare the whipped cream. Pour the cold whipped cream in a bowl and use an electric mixer to whip on medium speed until the creams is slightly thickened. Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Then mix on high speed until you get soft peaks. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake and top with the toasted coconut and chopped pecans.
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Yellow Cake
adapted from Chickens in the Road
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup boiling water
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13" cake pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside for now.
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In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, and baking powder.
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Add the milk and vegetable oil. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract.
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Mix in the boiling water. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Instead, today I'm posting about a very American cake. Two weekends ago, my friends and I had a BBQ/picnic, and I, of course, offered to bring dessert. I wanted to try something new: a cake that involved poking holes and pouring liquids on top, a poke-and-pour cake if you will, like "Tres Leches" or "Jello Poke" Cake (both of which I still need to make). For my first poke-and-pour cake, I finally settled on "Better than Sex" Cake (with a name like that, how could I resist ;) haha). Turns out though, there are actually two versions of the cake, one chocolate and one tropical. Naturally, I made both.
My conclusion is that these are great potluck cakes. They may not be the prettiest cakes, but they're widely appealing and provide just enough servings. The chocolate version appeals to chocolate and caramel lovers. It's for those days where you need a bit of sinful decadence in you life. Covered in condensed milk and caramel, it's a sweet, rich chocolate cake, made even better topped off with homemade whipped cream and chopped toffee candy bars.
The tropical version is perfect for those who prefer vanilla and fruit flavors. It's a yellow cake topped with a crushed pineapple syrup, vanilla pudding, sliced bananas, whipped cream, chopped pecans, and roasted coconut. To make it even better, I added a splash of rum to the syrup. It's the perfect cake for a hot summer day, refreshingly cool with tropical flavors that transport you to a beachy paradise. Which cake is better? You'll just have to make both to find out ;).
Better than Sex Cake (Chocolate)
adapted from food.com
chocolate cake recipe (use measurements for the small cake)
1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 oz) jar of caramel topping
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Heath bars (or 12 mini Heath bars), chopped
Bake your chocolate cake in a 9" x 13" cake pan. When it comes out of the oven, poke it all over (I used both a chopstick and a fork).
First pour the whole can of condensed milk over the cake.
Microwave 8 oz of caramel topping for 30 seconds, or until it is easily pourable, and then pour it over the cake. Let the cake cool to room temperature. Cover it in plastic wrap and let it chill for at least 24 hours, even longer is better as it gives the cake more time to absorb the condensed milk and caramel.
When ready to serve, prepare the whipped cream. Pour the cold whipped cream in a bowl and use an electric mixer on medium speed to whip the cream until it is slightly thickened. Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Increase the mixer to high speed and continue whipping until you get soft peaks. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake and top with the chopped Heath bars.
Better than Sex Cake (Tropical)
adapted from My Mom's Recipe
yellow cake recipe (below)
1 (20 oz can) crushed pineapple
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp rum (optional)
2 (3.5 oz) packages instant vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
2 bananas (optional)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup flaked coconut, toasted
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Bake your yellow cake in a 9" x 13" cake pan. While the cake is baking, prepare the pineapple syrup. Place the crushed pineapple with the juice in a medium saucepan and add the 3/4 cup sugar. Heat over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved, then remove from the heat.
When the cake comes out of the oven, poke it all over (I used both a chopstick and a fork). Add the rum to the pineapple syrup.
Then pour the syrup over the whole cake. Let cool to room temp.
Mix the instant pudding with the milk.
Spread it over the cake.
Thinly slice the bananas then layer over the pudding. Cover the cake with plastic wrap then chill for at least 24 hours, even longer is better as it lets the cake absorb the syrup which moistens the cake.
When ready to serve, prepare the whipped cream. Pour the cold whipped cream in a bowl and use an electric mixer to whip on medium speed until the creams is slightly thickened. Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Then mix on high speed until you get soft peaks. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake and top with the toasted coconut and chopped pecans.
Yellow Cake
adapted from Chickens in the Road
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup boiling water
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13" cake pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside for now.
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, and baking powder.
Add the milk and vegetable oil. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract.
Mix in the boiling water. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
