Playing in the Kitchen: Flavored Frosting

My dear husband and I had just finished our Pinterest-esque Chicken Tacos (crockpot, 5 chicken breasts, packet of taco seasoning -- I used my own seasoning combo instead, some salsa, cooked on high 4-6 hours, then shredded with a fork and made into tacos), and we desperately needed something sweet to sum up the culinary adventure for the evening. However, we didn't have much in the house, and we surely didn't want to hop in the car for a shopping adventure.

I browsed the cabinets in search of candy-like foods, particularly chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, and maybe some caramel or something crunchy.

What did I find? A handful of white chocolate chips and mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, a box of yellow cake mix, vanilla frosting, a couple boxes of pudding mix, and some remnant cocoa. What to do, what to do? I also really wanted to watch tv with my hubby instead of slaving over something in the kitchen. Quick! What should I make?!

Cake mix... yes, I started with the cake mix. As I was mixing, I toyed with the idea of changing it from yellow to chocolatey-chocolate-chocolate-chocolate cake (did I mention I wanted chocolate?), but I settled on reserving just a little of the batter to make a chocolate marble cake.

I poured the majority of the yellow batter in the prepped glass baking dish. I reserved the rest of the batter in the mixing bowl, added a couple tablespoons of cocoa, mixed it thoroughly, tasted to be sure it was chocolatey enough for me without being too much, and poured it on top of the yellow batter in the baking dish. I ran a knife through the additional batter to create a marbled effect and popped that bad boy in the oven.

This beautiful, tasty cake would need something more than just vanilla frosting. That was too plain for this adventurous evening, so again I searched through the cabinets and racked my brain (okay, I admit, it wasn't that dramatic... the idea was evolving while I mixed the batter, but I still wasn't sure I would like it). Chocolate... marble... BUTTERSCOTCH! Of course! Butterscotch would pair so perfectly with this cake, and I could add whatever chocolate chips and designs I might like!

Where was my butterscotch in the list of ingredients above? Hmm... the pudding mix of course! "Can she really do that? Pudding mix on cake? Does that make sense? Will that be good?" I know, you are on the edge of your seat, aren't you?! ;) Yes, I did it! I started with half a packet of the butterscotch pudding mix, and mixed it into the vanilla frosting. It only gave half a hint of butterscotch flavor to the frosting. I added another shake. Nope, it still wasn't enough flavor. Sugar-holic? "Commit, commit!" Okay, I DUMPED the rest of that pudding mix into the frosting and whipped it all up in a frenzy! One taste, the hubby got a taste, and then there was no doubt: PERFECT butterscotch frosting!

The cake emerged from the oven like a debutante at a ball. It cooled just begging for frosting, as though the gorgeous beauty was awaiting jewels and flowers. Finally, I spread the frosting over the cooled cake and tossed around some decorating/finishing ideas. Out came the chocolate chips, and a tree sprawled across the cake, looking much more like a fall dessert than a late-spring one.

It was absolutely scrumptious, and we enjoyed a couple delicious pieces before the evening was out. YUM!

Happy eating!
Love,
Ash

(Just to sum up, the frosting was 1 container of store-bought vanilla + 1 packet of butterscotch pudding mix, and the cake was 1 box of yellow cake mix -- mixed and divided to mix approximately 1 cup of batter + 2 tbsp cocoa.)