Now that I’m a SAHD, I’ve got to strap on an apron and get into the kitchen, otherwise the Worm is going to starve (or we’ll have to get take-out)!  This part of the house is mostly my wife’s arena as I barely know where anything is.  I can find my blender and toaster oven, but most of the appliances we have in the kitchen look like medieval torture devices.  But, I’m back in front of the stove and this time I’m taking no prisoners!  (I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean, but it spilled from my fingers and I’m leaving it here.)

I came across a contest online called the ReadySetEat Dad’s Cook-Off.  Now I don’t usually participate in contests where I’m not the pre-determined winner, but this one looked interesting.  Prepare something with 7 ingredients or less.  Prep it and make it in under 30 minutes.  And do all of that without chopping off a finger.  Hmm, very interesting.  Having made soup using only one ingredient, I knew I was up to the task of the Cook-Off.  (To enter the contest, you must be a dad blogger, or play one on TV.)

Below is my recipe entry.  It’s named in honor of my -10 week old daughter (yes, that’s a negative sign.  She hasn’t been born yet.) Smush.  It’s a cupcake analogous to my baby girl.  Hold the cupcake as gently as you would a baby, otherwise you’re going to squeeze all the gooey brown stuff out!  Now that I’ve worked up your appetite, here’s my original Smush Cakes recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Frosting:
  • 8 oz. Cool Whip (thawed in fridge for 4 hours prior to use)
  • 8 oz. Peter Pan Honey Roast Creamy Peanut Butter  (At room temperature, please.  Only nuts refrigerate PB…)
  • 1 box Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake Mix
  • 1 12oz. can of Sprite soda  (At room temperature please.  You may have to go overseas to find an unchilled soft drink dispenser.)
  • 1 4-pack Snack Pack Chocolate Flavor Pudding
  • Optional:
  • 24 Cupcake baking cups

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Get a large bowl.  Mix cake mix and can of soda together until no longer lumpy.  Now you’ve got cake batter.  I know.  It’s crazy.  It’s the miracle of food science.  Fill cupcake compartments 2/3 full of batter.  If you’re trying to impress the moms on the playground, use the baking cups.  They’ll think you’re Martha Stewart with a mustache.  For the empty cupcake compartments, fill each halfway up with water.  (Using holy water will exorcise the Devil out of the cupcakes and may lead to reduced flavor.)

Bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes.  Pull from oven and let cool slightly.

To make the frosting, add Cool Whip and peanut butter to a large bowl.  Whip the mischief out of Peter Pan…or until your arm gets tired.  You’re done when the mixture is consistent.  Hopefully this didn’t take you 18 minutes to do.  Put frosting in the fridge until cupcakes are out of the oven and cooled a bit.

Peanut butter frosting. Mmm!

Using a melon baller or a tsp measuring spoon, scoop out the middle of each cupcake and feed it to the annoying dog across the street, or stuff it into someone’s tailpipe.  You don’t need this part anymore.

Remove the center of the smush cake.

Now fill each cupcake middle with a teaspoon of chocolate pudding.

Fill the smush cake hole with pudding!

Get the frosting out of the fridge and top each cupcake.  Voila.  Smush cakes!

The original smushcake.

 

Related Links:

ReadySetEat: The Great Dad Cook-Off: Dad Bloggers Tackling Dinner