Dessert Menu Monday - Chocolate Cake

Kinza has an Easy Bake Oven and occasionally we pull it out and bake with it. On Saturday, we made chocolate cupcakes and Easy Bake Oven Chocolate Cake Surprise. I refuse to buy the little packets of barely edible mixes that cost $5 a pop so we use whatever I am already making. I let the kids put little pieces of chocolate in the middle of the pad and then put cake batter on top of it.

If you have never cooked with your kids I have to tell you, it is one of the most rewarding experiences you can do. I am now, going to share my recipe for chocolate cake mix chocolate cakes. I do not follow the box instructions for any cake I bake. For chocolate cake, I add a secret ingredient -- coffee. Here is how you bake a cake with kids.

In the morning brew your normal pot of coffee, but make sure you have some for the cake. Me, I always brew a full pot and then probably leave the last 8 to 12 ounces by the time I decide I have had enough. (Remember I do share with hubby so I am not actually drinking 52 ounces by myself.)

Put the baby down for a nap so you do not have to worry about her putting her hand in the bowl, or getting upset because she does not get to stir.

Get the Easy Bake out if you are going to bake with that. Make sure you plug it in to warm up.

Preheat your oven to what ever the back of the box says.

Get out the following ingredients:

• Chocolate cake mix (I like the ones with pudding in the mix.)
• Milk (I use milk instead of water.)
• Eggs (However many the box says. Bring them to room temperature if possible.)
• Butter (Use this instead of oil and melt it first so it is cool when the kids use it.)
• Coffee (I substitute part of the coffee for the milk. My box said 1 1/3 cup of water. So, I used 1 cup of milk and 1/3 cup of coffee.)
• Hershey Miniatures if you want to put a surprise in the middles

Make sure you have:

• Measuring cups
• Mixing bowl
• Wire whisk
• Greased pans (whatever you choose)

Make sure the kids have washed their hands.

Now I let the kids take turns putting in the ingredients.

• Kid 1 - Pour cake mix into bowl
• Kid 2 - Measure and pour milk into the bowl less 1/3 c
• Kid 3 - Measure and pour coffee.
• Kid 1 - Crack egg into mixture.
• Kid 2 - Crack egg into mixture. Fish out the eggshell while they are not looking.
• Kid 3 - Crack egg into mixture.
• Kid 1 - Pour melted butter into the mixture.
• Kid 2 - Start stirring
• Kid 3 - Take a turn stirring
• Kid 1 - Finish off the stirring
• Mommy - Make sure the cake has been stirred enough.
• Kids - Put their surprise into the little disks they call pans for the Easy Bake.
• Mommy - Carefully put a very small amount into the little pan for the Easy Bake Oven. I am serious. Do not over fill. Only 1 or 2 tablespoons will be plenty!

How do I know this? I overfilled all three of them. Yep I didn’t learn my lesson the first time. Cooking with the Easy Bake takes a lot of time if you have many kids wanting to do it. You can only cook one pan at a time. And, if you overfill, it takes longer for them to cook. Then in-between each pan you have to clear out as much of the mess as you can.

Get the baby who decided to wake up early from her nap. Get the baby distracted with other things so you can finish up and clean up the mess.

Then put the rest into greased or lined muffin tins and bake as directed. Then clean up like a mad woman as you only have 2 minutes to get it all cleaned up before the baby decides she really wants your attention.

Don't forget to take them out of the oven when they are done. And voila! Dessert. I don't bother frosting them. I save frosting for special occasions.

Okay, so I am sure everyone is saying to themselves, there is no way I am putting coffee in my chocolate cake. Coffee makes chocolate taste more like chocolate. It also helps keep the cake from being too sweet.

Cooking with your kids is essential to mommyhood. And chocolate cake is a fun and yummy cooking assignment.