.jpg)
Has anyone noticed that the weight of packaged cake mixes has suddenly gone from 18 ounces to 16 ounces? Not only are we paying more for groceries but seemingly getting a lot less for our money. Like the Hornet's Nest Cake, this thick and rich dessert is made with only a few ingredients, they both start with a pudding mix and deliver in a big way. Combine the pudding mix with the milk, mix until thickened then add the cake mix. You will need a bit of muscle to stir the batter, it is quite thick. Spread the batter in your oven, top with chocolate chips and bake. In my 12 inch dutch oven, the cake baked for 35 minutes with 12 coals in a ring around the base of the oven, 18 in a ring around the outside of the lid and 6 spaced evenly in the center. I used a Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix and let me tell you, it was incredibly moist, chocolaty and delicious. If you're looking for something easy but a step up from your standard dutch oven dump cake, this one's for you.
Chocolate Pudding Dump Cake
1 16 oz package chocolate cake mix
1 3.9 oz package instant chocolate pudding
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper if desired.
In large bowl, whisk milk with pudding mix until thickened.
Stir in cake mix; mix until well combined, batter will be thick.
Spread batter in prepared dutch oven.
Sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until edges pull away from sides.
Allow to cool before lifting from oven with parchment paper.
 |
Sprinkle chips evenly over batter  right over the top |
Made this on Monday night. Great recipe. Super easy to mix up. My batter didn't seem to get particularly thick though. Just like normal cake batter. Also, and here's where I need some help, the cake picked up that dutch oven "oil flavor." I sprayed the oven w/ canola oil spray, lined the oven with parchment paper, and baked. Maybe I should have wiped as much of the spray out as I could before placing the parchment paper(?). I do want to try this one again and see if I can get it to not have the weird taste, because other than that this is a very promising recipe. --K.C.
ReplyDeleteI go camping ALOT with the Boy Scouts and for cakes, cobblers, etc... I like to use aluminum foil sprayed with oil. No funny taste and easier clean-up.
DeleteThanks for the tip! Liddy
DeleteWas camping this weekend with our scouts and they were still asking for this cake!!
DeleteGlad to hear the recipe is so popular with your scouts! Liddy
DeleteWe went camping with the Boy Scouts and Webelos this weekend, we doubled the receipt and cooked an hour, was DELICIOUS & MOIST!!!!! OUR FAVORITE!!!
DeleteFor anyone else reading this, the oily taste might be a rancid oven. I've never had that issue with an oven in good shape.
DeleteK.C., I haven't had any problems with the flavor of oil seeping through parchment paper, if anything it usually forms a barrier to prevent that from happening. Some people may wonder why I even bother to oil my dutch oven while also using parchment paper, I find that it makes it easier to flatten the creases and pleats out of the paper as it sticks to the inside of the dutch oven. Maybe try a lighter coating or not at all. Don't know why you didn't have a thick batter, if you used all the same sized ingredients with only 1 1/2 cups of milk, it should be quite thick, you don't make the cake according to the package directions. Otherwise, glad you liked the recipe, everyone in my house loved it, thanks for stopping by, Liddy
ReplyDeleteI tried this again and came up with a more similar result to what you described. First of all I sprayed, then wiped out the oven really good. That took care of the oily taste. Second I really went for it and whisked the pudding a good two minutes. Also I used Jello brand this time. The first time I used WalMart's Great Value pudding. Maybe there's a difference in puddings? The second time I got the really thick batter. It's really a chocolatey tasting dump cake. I'm still trying to decide if I like the texture. I recommend to those who do make this that some whip cream on top (or ice cream) is a great addition.
ReplyDeleteOn another subject, would you be interested in a recipe or two that I have? Let me know and if you are how to send them to you. No pressure though, just thought I'd offer. K.C.
I would love any more recipes different than a normal dump cake with cake mix, can of fruit and sprite. :)
DeleteSo glad the cake came out better the second time K.C., interesting about the pudding. I'm not set up very well for more recipes but have you ever checked out www.camp-cook.com? They have a great forum with all different catagories for posting recipes, you could post there and provide us with a link. That site first inspired me to start dutch oven cooking, lots of experienced cooks and very nice people. Thanks for the follow up, happy cooking! Liddy
ReplyDeleteWant to try it but I don't have a 12'' dutch oven how can I do it in a 10'' and an 14''
ReplyDeleteHi, I am about to try your recipe with the Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix. The cake mix calls for 3 eggs, a third cup of oil and water. Are any of these ingredients necessary? Thanks - BD
ReplyDeleteNo you do not need the ingredients called for on the cake mix box, only those listed in the recipe. Hope you enjoy the dessert, Liddy
DeleteThanks for the quick response! I'll let you know how it turns out. Going cabin camping this weekend.
DeleteMade it last night for our scouts as we spent the weekend at Bears Den on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. They loved it! Thanks again - BD
DeleteGlad to hear it came out well, sounds like a beautiful place to spend the weekend, looks like you timed it well with the snow storm today, Liddy
DeleteMore info on the Bears Den please... I went to a place with the same name a couple of hours(?) N of High Point NC, camped in a hollow with old farm bldg. Sat AM climbed mtn rocks to a parkway and walked a short distance to small store. Perhaps it is the same place access(?)or you know someone I knew; from Tr 1, 1959-1965?
DeleteOk I am preparing a duch oven cooking demo for my troop tomorrow. For the new scouts. They have a comporee coming up in April and the dutch oven contest is desserts. So we will test this out and perhaps add in the Heath Bar Toffee Bits to see how it goes.
ReplyDeleteThis event is Very competive!! But the eating is always good!!
Good luck with the demo, adding Heath Bar Toffee Bits sounds like a great idea! Liddy
DeleteI have made this twide since finding it! Scouts Loved it. The Heath Bar Toffee Bits are a great surprise when you bit into it's great gooeyness...They are going to make in for a Dutch Oven Dessert competion next month....Also Pinned to my Pintrest Board for Scouting
ReplyDeleteSo glad everyone loved the recipe, thanks for letting us know, will try it soon with the Toffee Bits and good luck with the competition! Liddy
DeleteAnother successful DO dessert! Thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteReally glad you liked the recipe! Liddy
DeleteMy dad got me a Lodge dutch oven when he was at work in Idaho a few weeks ago. I want to go make this when we go to my grandpa's lake cabin in 99 springs Kansas resort. Thanks for the dutch oven cake instructions; I'm sure it'll turn out good.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, so nice of your Dad to buy you a dutch oven. This is a great recipe for beginning dutch oven cooks and everyone seems to like it. Enjoy your new oven and your vacation at the cabin. Liddy
DeleteYeah, were going to go this Memorial weekend and catch some fish to fry, and I'll make the cake for dessert. We'll spend the night in the cabin. It'll be awesome!
DeleteShould I use a dark chocolate cake mix, since you add the sweet chocolate pudding to it so it wont be too sweet?
ReplyDeleteIt's up to you, I liked the dark chocolate but any chocolate cake mix is bound to be good, Liddy
DeleteI do a DO cooking demo for each of our BSA recruiting events & cook at least one DO meal for each of our Cub Scout campouts, always on the lookout for a good new dump cake recipe. I'll try this one at our open house on Thursday. Thanks for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Keith, hope you and your scouts enjoy the recipe and thanks for stopping by, Liddy
ReplyDeleteTried the recipe out on my family this weekend before using it at a Girl Scout campout next weekend. Our cake turned out very dense. When I shopped for the chocolate cake mixes, all the mixes already had pudding in the mix. Maybe adding another box of pudding to the mix was too much?
ReplyDeleteThe cake is somewhat dense to begin with but maybe adding that extra pudding was a little too much. Try a regular mix, if you can find it, and see how you like it. Good luck, Liddy
DeleteKeith, have done the same...we hold a yearly day of training for both adults and scouts. We did this and about 5 other dutch oven demos. Darn, very popular. They have asked us back already and to expand class to 4 hours. ..so I created a Pintrest board....with this cake even the mistakes get eaten!!
ReplyDeleteHow many does this recipe feed? Thanks so much for the wonderfully easy recipe for us beginners :) Emily
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Emily, hope you like the recipe. A 12 inch dutch oven is roughly the equivalent of a 9 by 13 inch pan so depending on the size of your slices, probably feeds 8-10. Happy cooking! Liddy
ReplyDeleteSo our family is going on a fairly long trip, so we can't really bring any milk with us. Will powdered milk mixed with water work?
ReplyDeleteI have never baked with powdered milk but after doing an on-line search, you should be fine, hope the recipe turns out well and have a great time! Liddy
DeleteWhat was the verdict on using powdered milk? I need to do the same for my camp in a couple weeks.
DeleteIs there any reason you couldn't use pudding cups for ease?
ReplyDeleteHi Julie, sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. Not sure about the pudding cups, you might have to adjust the amount of milk you would need. Would love to hear how things turned out, Liddy
DeleteI just got back from a Boy Scout camporee. We made this with 4 "pudding cups", instead of the pudding mix and milk. We used the kind of pudding cups that don't require refrigeration. The batter got very thick, and hard to mix, but it came out great, without any milk added at all. The boys and the adults all loved it! We will definitely do this again.
ReplyDeleteWow, thanks so much for letting us know you can use pudding cups, so much easier, especially when camping. Glad everyone enjoyed your dessert! Liddy
DeleteI'm glad you tried this with scouters. They love to eat! I too have made it for Camporee and as part of their cooking merit badge. Using pudding cups make it easier to pack supplies. Go Scouters! !
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you tried this with scouters. They love to eat! I too have made it for Camporee and as part of their cooking merit badge. Using pudding cups make it easier to pack supplies. Go Scouters! !
ReplyDeleteCamping this weekend with the Boy Scouts and I offered to do the cooking for the leaders. I made the Ghoulish Goulash (http://www.everydaydutchoven.com/2013/10/beat-clock-ghoulish-goulash.html) for dinner and this for dessert. Such an easy recipe, and so good when it's done. Started this one cooking at the same time as the goulash, and checked it when we started eating. It was still a little raw in the middle so put a few more coals on top...just right. The cake was cool and ready to eat just as we finished dinner. I love it when a plan comes together.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for a great recipe.
Hi Brian, thank you so much for letting us know how you liked the recipes, am happy to hear your dinner was so successful, getting the timing down is half the battle. Liddy
DeleteDo you have to use the parchment paper, or can I put it directly in the DO? I have tried the paper before but don't like the hassle.
ReplyDeleteHi Cheryl, Yes, you can make it without the parchment, just allow it to cool and serve it directly from your dutch oven. Hope you like the recipe, Liddy
DeleteMade this dump cake again for a Cub Scout pack. It was a parents Woodbadge ticket to bring in Dutch oven cooking to the pack. I forgot to add the cake mix to the pudding. I just literally dumped the made pudding on top of the cake mix. Then again topped with both chocolate chips and Heath toffee chips
ReplyDeleteHalf way through it looked too dry. So the boys added another 34c milk. Stirred and continued baking.
They ate it all up, of course. This is a great beginner dessert. Easy for Cub Scouts to do and see the results.
I've used this at scout cooking demos and Camporee s. Always a hit.
Glad to hear your dessert turned out so well in spite of the changes, thanks for your feedback Barbara Ann! Liddy
DeleteCan this be done in the 10 inch combo?
ReplyDeleteHi Marcia, the recipe is best made in a 12 inch dutch oven, roughly the same size as a 9 by 13 inch cake pan. Maybe you could hold back a little of the batter to make it in your smaller oven. Good luck and thanks for stopping by, Liddy
DeleteIf you do it in the oven do you still put the lid on the dutch oven?
ReplyDeleteHi Sherri, If I was making this in my kitchen oven, I would bake it at 350 degrees in a 9 by 13 inch pan for 30-35 minutes. Good luck! Liddy
DeleteMakes me woneer what other cake and pudding flavors would be good. Or maybe with mint chocolate chips. Mmmm
ReplyDeleteI have a question about how to arrange the dutch oven for baking. Your instructions say to place the coals in a ring *around* the base. I have seen other suggestions to make a ring in the fire pit first and set the dutch oven on top of the ring of coals. Does your method mean that the dutch oven is sitting directly on the ground? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMy son is planning to make this cake this weekend. We purchased aluminum liner for the Dutch oven. will that work ok with spray?
ReplyDeleteis the milk measurement 1/2 cup or 1 1/2 cup?
Hi, reaching out from CountryLiving.com. We'd love to share this recipe in a gallery on our website and run a photo, with credit to you and linking back to your site for the full recipe. Let me know if you're interested in being featured!
ReplyDeleteI have a question if I making this ina 14” oven would I need to double it?
ReplyDelete