I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to share a recipe with you.
Or to lick a bowl.
The secret ingredient here? You may think I’m crazy… but it’s a spoonful of actual cake mix.
All you must do is whisk it well into the melted white chocolate. Best decision ever.
And don’t worry about “what to do with the rest of the cake mix.” Store it for later. Make more bark. Make cake-mix cookies. Eat it off a spoon. Bake a cake. Mail it to me.
Just don’t not make this because you’re worried about the extra cake mix. It’s simply a detail.
The truth is, I’ve never been much of a “bark” person. I think barks tend to be beautiful, colorful, and make fabulous gifts, but I’m not really interested in eating my chocolate with nuts and fruit. I decided yesterday that I was going to make some form of chocolate bark, but I knew it had to be different. Not plain, old, boring bark.
After laying on the couch slurping butter-soaked shrimp scampi, plowing through a bag of m&m’s and watching 7 hours of Lifetime television, I had my answer: cake batter. I don’t know where it came from. I swear it was an epiphany. Or perhaps I had just swallowed way too much sugar.
Yes, it may be quite a trendy flavor, but can you really ever go wrong? I think not.
And I didn’t want to just make white chocolate bark. This baby needed a little more personality. More spunk. More flavor. More richness. More calories. More reason to buy new bigger pants.
So I added a dark chocolate layer too.
Did you know I have an obsession with sprinkles? Now you do.
I’d put them on everything if I could. Color me 5 years old.
Cake Batter Chocolate Bark
6 ounces high quality dark chocolate (I used Lindt 70%)
12 ounces high quality white chocolate (I used Lindt)
3 teaspoons yellow cake mix
sprinkles of your choice (at least 3 tablespoons worth or more)
Melt dark chocolate either in the microwave or a double boiler. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour chocolate on. You can smooth it with a spatula to the thickness you desire. Stick in the freeze for 20 minutes.
Melt while chocolate. Whisk in cake mix slowly, stirring well until no lumps remain. Let it set for 3 full minutes (or at least until it slightly thickens). Remove baking sheet with chocolate from the freezer and immediately pour white chocolate on top. Sprinkle on sprinkles. Freeze for 20 minutes.
Once set, break into chunks. Keep refrigerated.
All I really want to know is how I can possibly top this treat. Riddle me that!
I’m Jessica and this is where I share my stuff. You will find a balance of healthy recipes, comfort food and indulgent desserts.
These are super cute for many reasons, but here are two…
1) Everything is better with sprinkles :)
2) If there’s even the tiniest hint of cake batter flavor in these, I will inhale them!
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OMG, I might have to add these to my christmas cookie trays that I give as gifts! Thanks for sharing!
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you.
are.
a
genius.
we are SOOOO making these!!!!!!
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Cake batter – GENIUS! :-)
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what a brilliant idea for chocolate bark! it’s perfect for the holidays, AND birthdays too!
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Jessica — December 3rd, 2010 @ 12:10 pm
I didn’t even THINK about birthdays! It would be great!
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Ann — May 27th, 2011 @ 9:00 am
Birthdays? Holidays? F- That, I’m making these for a group that runs around in the woods trying to beat people with Plumbing supplys (aka Larpers!). I am so excited about this! Thanks!
Brilliant!
Simply brilliant.
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Oh my goodness! I saw this and was like, you’re a genius! :) Can’t wait to make these today!!!
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this is genius! what do you think of using milk chocolate instead of white? though i can’t imagine it would look as pretty!
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Jessica — December 3rd, 2010 @ 12:09 pm
Oh I’m sure! It would definitely work, but like you said it won’t look quite as pretty.
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Mmm, looks delicious! Love the colors!
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I am not a cusser, but holy shit jessica – this looks awesome.
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This is so fun and playful looking!
Looks delicious and I can’t blame you for liking all those colorful sprinkles!
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This looks sooooo good!!!
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I love this. I wish I had this recipe as a kid.
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Jessica — December 3rd, 2010 @ 12:25 pm
This recipe will make you FEEL like a kid! :)
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My word. Genius. And it makes me want to try to make a cookie dough version.
Or maybe sit back and wait for somebody else to develop a recipe.
And then mail it to me. Along with cake batter bark.
P.S. Cake mix+plain Greek yogurt+milk=yummy milkshake + healthy
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Best Christmas gift EVER! Yum!
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Make it taste exactly the same but at the same time be healthy for me? Make it so it sheds pounds while I eat it? That would top even this creation, don’t you think? ;-)
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Sprinkles make me smile. And I agree with you that traditional bark with fruits and nuts is not my thing. This bark however, is right up my tree. (get it?…HEE!)
I’m off to buy a yellow cake mix because I do everything you tell me to do.
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Jessica — December 3rd, 2010 @ 12:35 pm
You rock my world!
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Oh myyyyyyyyyyyy! Can’t wait to try this one!!!!
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That is seriously beautiful!
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i wish i had this right now for breakfast
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Jessica — December 3rd, 2010 @ 12:44 pm
I wish you did too.
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“And don’t worry about ‘what to do with the rest of the cake mix.’” Hahaha you read my mind… but I love your ideas so now I’m not worried. And I LOVE sprinkles and cake-batter-flavored things… looks awesome!!
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Jessica — December 3rd, 2010 @ 12:43 pm
Hahah really… don’t worry about it! I would just seal it in a ziplock bag with the box instructions and use it for cupcakes or cake. One teaspoon missing from the mix shouldn’t hurt it at all, and if the batter doesn’t seem thick enough when you mix up a cake, you can always add a little flour.
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I’m hooked on cake batter flavor ice cream….I am MAKING this today! And really….I was going to try ‘n lay off the sugar coma for at least ONE day…oh well…2morrow is another day!
love,
cathy b @ brightbakes
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Jessica — December 3rd, 2010 @ 1:16 pm
Yes… wait til tomorrow to stop the sugar. I promise it is worth it!
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Spunk indeed! This bark is so festive & pretty. Love that you went well beyond the norm both in flavor & presentation. Such great pics too!! XO
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Wow! Genius! So pretty….I wish I had some right now!
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If you’re in a “mint” mood – crush up some red and green starlight mints and stir them in the white chocolate instead. Amazing flavor and very festive at this time of year!
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Jessica — December 3rd, 2010 @ 1:32 pm
That sounds delicious too!
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I think I’m in love with these. Such a good idea to put cake batter in and it cracked my up your arguments to make it no matter what ;).
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You had me at cake batter.
My all-time favorite Coldstone Creamery treat is cake batter ice cream with chunks of cookie dough. Sometimes the un-cooked stuff is even better than the final product :)
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Jessica — December 3rd, 2010 @ 1:32 pm
Oh my gosh I love that too!
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This looks so pretty! You had me salivating just by reading the title :D
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I am so glad you came clean about your obsession with sprinkles. Makes me feel good inside to know we have that in common :) Although yours look cute. I put sprinkles on things and it looks like a 5 year old did it. I was just contemplating this morning how I could add sprinkles to my gingerbread men and still have them look cute. But back to the recipe – this looks incredible, as always :)
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how can you top this…? red velvet cake batter bark. just sayin….
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Jessica — December 3rd, 2010 @ 1:44 pm
Ummm… brilliant!!
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This is the most exciting recipe!!! I am going to try it!
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Woooow that looks good. And you know, dark chocolate is supposed to have antioxidants…….so adding it to the bark practically transforms it into health food! At least, that’s what I’ll tell myself as I down an entire batch of this stuff.
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Jessica — December 3rd, 2010 @ 1:44 pm
Excellent point.
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yummy!!!!!! You know, dark chocolate is supposed to have antioxidants, which practically makes this health food!!!!!!! At least, that is what I’m going to tell myself as I down an entire batch of this bark!
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whoops! sorry about the double comments….the first time that I commented I got an error message, and my comment didn’t show up until after I had posted the second one!! =P
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How you manage to continually outdo yourself is beyond me.
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Fab, fab, fab!! I HEART cake flavored things! Plus they’re just so purrrty… ;)
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I am so using this recipe for my upcoming community cookie swap–I think I’ll just do Christmas sprinkles instead. You’re a genious Jess!! :-)
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Off to buy holiday sprinkles! Does the flavor of cake batter change the flavor of the chocolate? I am trying to decide how many different cake mixes to come home with ;)
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Jessica — December 3rd, 2010 @ 1:56 pm
This is the first one I’ve made, so I’m not positive on the answer. I think it’s best to go with yellow or white cake mix if you’re going for that cake batter/birthday cake flavor. It definitely made the white chocolate taste more cake-like. But I’m sure that other cake flavors would be good too!
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Jessica, you’ve got to tell me how you came up with the idea to put cake mix in chocolate! Be honest!
Ok seriously, though – this is a great idea – and sounds incredibly delicious :)
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Jessica — December 3rd, 2010 @ 1:59 pm
LOL! Once I decided I wanted to try the cake batter flavor, I had NO clue how to do it. I actually googled if there was such a thing as cake batter extract… there isn’t, at least not that I could find. I knew vanilla extract wouldn’t give it that flavor, so I tried whisking in the cake mix, assuming it would be a huge fail. I was shocked (and thrilled!) when it worked!
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Jessica — December 3rd, 2010 @ 2:01 pm
Oh, and FYI, I stopped getting your blog updates in my reader! I realized yesterday and I checked, the last one to come through was Nov 25th. No idea why, but I re-added you and hope it works!
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You are a genius. Seriously. Can’t wait to try this!
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Gah we’re obsessed! This looks amazing! And so preeeeeetty!!
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You are completely amazing.
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This looks so awesome! I love all the colorful sprinkles on top to top it all off! Well done! : )
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It’s so pretty! And yummy looking. But don’t kill me – I hate sprinkles!
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Jessica — December 4th, 2010 @ 1:03 am
I will never understand that dislike of the sprinkles.
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What a great idea! I never would have thought of this
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Oh my! What a genius idea! I do love Peppermint Bark around the holidays, but this would be a great way to enjoy it all year round!
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Omg that’s such a wonderful idea! and the colors are fantasic! Thanks for sharing :)
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Jessica — December 3rd, 2010 @ 2:17 pm
I think the bright colors are my favorite part!
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I am not a bark person either but this may convert me ;-)
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This looks ridiculously simple to make… and sounds really good too!!!
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Can’t go wrong when chocolate is included in the recipe. YUM! Suzanne
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