For when you need a pretty, delicious cake QUICK! Just grab a packet of your favorite mix and learn how to turn brownie mix into cake!
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Let’s call it spontaneity
Really though, it’s just a nice way of saying that I’m often a bit…last minute.
I will procrastinate til the cows come home.
(Actually, I do have a good story about our cows coming home, but I’ll save it for another time!)
Sometimes it’s not such a great thing.
Like when I put off buying that amazingly cheap plane ticket that is now sold out and I have to pay twice as much and oh when will I ever learn?
And yes, this did just happen to me.
Again.
But sometimes, actually most of the time, a lack of planning and the ensuing time crunch force me into the do or die, get creative mode in which I thrive.
be prepared to turn brownie mix into cake with a well-stocked pantry
Since we often have classes on our farm that include a home-cooked lunch, we tend to keep a fairly well stocked pantry. With canned beans, pasta and brownie mix I feel ready to take on any meal!
Canned chickpeas yield hummus or a quick and tasty curry. With pasta in the pantry the most amazing mac + cheese is easy.
And brownie mix? How about chocolate cake with chocolate whipped cream.
Ummm…yes, please!
Here are a few secrets to make brownie mix taste like fudgey, made-from-scratch cake:
- Use brewed coffee in place of water. It will intensify the flavor of chocolate without making your cake taste like coffee. Promise!
- Add a dash of vanilla or almond extract. A definite flavor elevator! Play around with different extracts. I’ve even used coconut extract for an Almond Joy type cake.
- Add an extra egg. For a cakier cake, add an extra egg.
- Use melted and cooled butter in place of oil. This is a great trick to use with both brownie mix and cake mix to make your creation taste like it came from a bakery!
Brownie Mix Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- 9" Round Cake Pan
- 9" Round Parchment Paper
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 box brownie mix 18-20 oz
- 2-3 eggs use 3 eggs for a cakier texture
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil OR melted + cooled butter
- 1/4 cup brewed coffee
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, optional substitute other extracts as desired
Chocolate Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream NOT half and half
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar sifted to remove lumps
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, optional substitute extracts as above
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Mix all ingredients well, either with a hand or stand mixer or by hand. Note the instructions on your particular brownie mix.
- Line the cake pan with parchment paper, then pour in the mixture.
- Bake according to brownie packet instructions. Remember that baked goods continue to cook a bit after removing from oven, so don't over-bake.
- Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to loosen. Tump out the cake onto your hand then right side up onto a serving platter.
- Decorate as desired. See notes below for ideas!
Chocolate Whipped Cream
- Pour cold whipping cream into the bowl of your mixer. Some recipes say to chill the bowl, but we're being spontaneous, remember?
- Add sifted sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla (if using) to the bowl.
- With the whisk attachment in place, beat on medium high for about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer to check your progress -- you want the whipped cream to hold its shape but not be too stiff.
- Your chocolate whipped cream is now ready to decorate your chocolate cake! If you have extra, eat it right away with a spoon. Or you can store it, well covered, in the fridge for a few days. I won't judge.
Notes
- I line my baking pans with precut parchment circles. It's definitely worth the trouble of seeking them out if you bake a lot. You can also trace and cut circles from larger sheets of parchment.
- The chocolate whipped cream looks extra pretty and bakery-worthy if you pipe it from a pastry bag with a large star tip.
- Other ways to decorate the cooled cake: sift powdered sugar gently over OR make a chocolate ganache and pour over OR spread with cream cheese frosting
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