Easy Fruit Dip

One of my favorite things about being in college is the fact that when I come home, my parents almost treat me as a guest. Almost being the key word. They’re excited enough to have me home that they take …

Cake Batter Dip

Cooking in a dorm means cooking with very limited space. My mini fridge can barely hold a Brita pitcher in it, let alone a weeks worth of groceries. That is why I’ve found it is important that I buy ingredients that can work in multiple recipes. I can buy precooked chicken strips and shredded cheese which will work for salads, wraps, and quesadillas. There is no room in my fridge for something that will be used once and never again (I learned that from the jalapeño mustard I bought on an impulse).

I saw this recipe for cake batter dip around the same time I saw the recipe for 1, 2, 3 cake.  Both recipes require full boxes of cake, so I bought one angel food cake mix and one devil’s food cake mix. I knew I would never be able to eat all the dip that one full box would make, so I set aside some devil’s food cake mix before combining the mixes for the 1, 2, 3 cake.

I changed the measurements from the original recipe to make a smaller batch and added peanut butter. This recipe still makes enough for 2-4 people, depending on how much of a sweet tooth you and your friends have. I enjoyed it, but I think the mug cake was a much more satisfying use of the cake mix.

Cake Batter Dip
3 oz. plain yogurt
3/4 cup whipped cream
1/2 cup devil’s food cake mix
1/4 cup peanut butter
Graham crackers, Nilla Wafers, or whatever you’d like to eat your dip with. I used Chocolate Chip Teddy Grahams.

1. Melt the peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl for 20 seconds. Stir, and put it back in the microwave for 20 more seconds.
2. Combine the whipped cream and the yogurt.
3. Mix in the devil’s food cake mix
4. Add the peanut butter and mix until everything is fully combined
5. Serve with your choice of crackers and enjoy!

1, 2, 3 Cake (Take 4)

I’m obsessed with Pinterest. I’ve heard someone say it is where boring girls go to congregate, but I disagree. I mean, I am pretty boring most of the time. But not because I love Pinterest. Plenty of my other interesting, active friends use Pinterest in very interesting ways.

I love Pinterest because I find inspiring pictures, ideas for weekend craft projects, and awesome recipes.

I also love Pinterest because it is where I found my latest study break obsession.

Remember my last study break snack? Where I said maybe my next one will be healthier? Well this one has strawberries. In my book, that counts.

I found this recipe for an easy mug cake on Pinterest and knew right away I had to try it. I brought a mug from home, even though I don’t drink coffee, specifically for this recipe.

That made it even sadder when my first attempt at 1, 2, 3 Cake ended in failure. I forgot to mix the batter. Half the cake rose and the rest was powdered mix sitting at the bottom of the mug.

My second attempt, I mixed the batter thoroughly before putting my mug in the microwave. 1, 2, 3 Cake (Take 2) was definitely a cake… just not a very good one. It was dry and it made me realize that the main reason I like cake is frosting.

I decided to try one more time, this time adding more than the two tablespoons of water the recipe calls for. My cake was moister, but I still wasn’t impressed. I was ready to give up on the whole mug cake genre until I opened my fridge to get a bottle of water. It was then I noticed the whipped cream and strawberries I had for another recipe. Perfect! I chopped up some strawberries, threw them into my mug, and covered it in whipped cream. The strawberries were nice and cold and the whipped cream helped the cake seem more moist. Take 3 was a success.

It wasn’t until I sat down to write this blog that I realized I had mini chocolate chips in my room. Thus, 1, 2, 3 Cake (Take 4) was born.

1, 2, 3 Cake (Take 4)

What you need for the cake base:
1 box angel food cake mix (it MUST be angel food cake to work)
1 box any other cake mix (I used devil’s food cake)

Combine the box of angel food cake with your other cake mix and store in an airtight container or ziplock bag. You only need 3 tablespoons of this mixture each time you make a cake, so it will last you awhile.

Everything else you need:
2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons water
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
a handful of mini chocolate chips
whipped cream
1-3 strawberries
a mug
measuring spoons

1. Scoop 3 tablespoons of your cake mixture into a mug and add your water and vanilla extract
2.  Stir until all the lumps are gone
3. Dump a handful of mini chocolate chips into your mug
4. Microwave for 1 minute on high power
(Don’t touch the mug right away–it is extremely hot. I learned that the hard way.)
5. Take your mug out of the microwave once it has cooled down a little and top with whipped cream and chopped strawberries.

This recipe has seriously revolutionized the way I crave desserts. It used to be that I waited for someone’s birthday or for the dining center to have a good dessert selection to get to eat cake. Now I am always two to three minutes away from a very satisfying cake. It is a blessing and a curse.