24 Bakes: Rainbow Sprinkle Snacking Cake
Bake #3 is feelin' snacky
I have always been against the notion that you can only have cake for special occasions. Cake is for any time. Cake is for all the time.
I know that I’ve found my friend soulmates when they hold this same principle. One of my college roommates used to buy ice cream cakes for fun. My business partner/sister wife has always made cakes just because.
Why this Recipe
I made this particular recipe because my friend (Meghan Splawn) gave me sprinkles and I wanted an easy recipe. Also, she had recently made it, and I was influenced (but is it still “influencing” if you’re friends?).
The Recipe
I used Jessie Sheehan’s recipe from Snackable Bakes. She has an entire cookbook dedicated to snackable bakes, so I figured she was an expert.
Interestingly, the cake doesn’t have any eggs or dairy (but it’s more than made up for in the glaze). Its main components are flour and vinegar. You also don’t need a stand mixer. Easy/peasy.
How it Went
By the end of this bake, I thought the cake was going to be inedible.
After mixing (which was easy) and pouring, I threw it in the oven. But when I pulled the cake out it was dark. So dark it looked burnt around the edges.
There were a few reasons:
I didn’t have white vinegar so I took a risk and subbed it with apple cider.
I used the convection oven instead of the regular one (and I’m still trying to understand the difference).
I used an old, old pan that we usually use for hot dogs (I almost didn’t write this but the truth is the truth and we eat a lot of hot dogs) because I was trying to use the right size pan for once. I thought nothing of it and then when I saw the color, I was convinced the cake was going to taste like hot dogs, but it didn’t. Thank God.
I decided to keep going and wish for the best, but then I made another mistake and read the 1/8 teaspoon of salt in the glaze as 1/4 teaspoon. Instead of remaking the glaze, I decided to overcorrect by putting *too many* sprinkles on it. I also enlisted my 2-year-old to help (which he did at first until he realized he had pure sugar at his fingertips).
After putting everything together, you are supposed to refrigerate the cake before consuming it. Because I felt like I had made a terrible cake, we didn’t eat it that day. In fact, most of the time, I cannot wait to eat sweets, but I almost threw this cake out.
But, plot twist, I’m so glad I didn’t! The cake was one of the most moist cakes I’ve ever made (but keep in mind, I’m very new to baking so this isn’t necessarily that impressive). The glaze was a little salty, but it was fine — it didn’t ruin it at all. Also, the edge of the cake was a little chewy, but the middle was perfect, so all was well.
And finally, the seal of approval: my husband didn’t try the cake for a few days, and when he finally did he raved. That’s all that really matters — we enjoyed it. This is a cake I plan to make again (with a new pan).
What I Learned
Maybe I don’t know how to use my oven? It doesn’t seem like it’s that hard, but this isn’t the first time the outside is overdone and the middle is either just right or underdone. I’ve been reading more about it, so I can course-correct for a future bake.
Don’t throw out perfectly good cake. That’s it.
