Thursday, January 27, 2011

Chocolate Cake Dress Up


Here's a quick and simple way to dress up a basic chocolate cake.
Take your favorite chocolate cake mix or recipe.
Once you've mixed and put it in the pan add this topping.

Topping
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans
Mix together and sprinkle over cake

Put the cake in the oven and bake.
Once it is baked and cooled drizzle the cake with caramel topping.


Here's the recipe for the chocolate cake that I use.

Chocolate Cake
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup lowfat buttermilk (I make my own using 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 cup 1% milk)

Heat oven to 350F.  Grease and flour 13x9-inch pan.  In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  In large bowl, beat sugar and margarine until light and fluffy.  Beat in vanilla and eggs.  Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk, beating well after each addition.  Spread batter evenly in grased and flour pan.

Add topping.  Bake at 350F for 27-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool completely.  Drizzle with caramel topping.


This is one of my favorite cakes to take to potlucks or a friend's house because the topping makes it look dressed up but also makes it easy to transport.  You don't have to worry about icing getting smucked during the transport.

I am joining Alison at "Prairie Story" for Recipe Swap Thursday

And Lisa at "Sweet as Sugar Cookies" for Sweets for a Saturday

SweetasSugarCookies

14 comments:

  1. Delicious and quite simple isn't it?

    Thank you Alana, for stopping by the cottage...you brought so much joy with your visit :)

    Maria.

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  2. Love this topping! It looks great and I'm sure tastes delicious! Chocolate cake is always a hit so it would be nice to serve with this little twist instead of icing.

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  3. Ooooh!! Alana, that sounds like something I could just LIVE in. lol Thanks for sharing!!!

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  4. Thank you. The topping is delicious and simple and yes, good enough to live in LOL (if it lasted long enough ;) ~Alana~

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  5. What a great idea to turn something ordinary into something extraordinary. I have a linky party on my blog every week called "Sweets for a Saturday" and I'd like to invite you to stop by this weekend and link your recipe up.

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  6. Nice topping! Real easy recipe too. Thank you for sharing.

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  7. Yum...Look forward to an excuse to try this one.

    Blessings Kelsie

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  8. Lisa - Thank you for the invite.

    Amy - Your welcome. I love recipes that are different but yet simple.

    Kelsie - Definately give it a try. It doesn't take any more time than it does to make a plain chocolate cake - and you don't have to worry about icing it afterwards :)

    ~Alana~

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  9. Dear Alana...thank you for sharing this recipe! It sounds delicious...one that I want to try very soon! Hugs ♥ Teri

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  10. Teri - I hope you enjoy it as much as we do :) ~Alana~

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  11. Thanks for linking this up at Sweets for a Saturday. I hope you'll be able to join in again.

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  12. Lisa - Your welcome. I look forward to seeing some more amazing recipes on Saturday. ~Alana~

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  13. WOW! I would so love this - one terrific idea! SO glad you shared it. LOVE the caramel topping most of all. =)

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  14. Thank you! This is one of my favorite "go to" recipes :)

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