Dear bakers: I need a super easy cake recipe for a 22 year old boy who doesn't bake!

Hi everyone,
My best friend's birthday is coming up and for the first time in a couple of years we won't be able to celebrate together because he graduated and moved across the country. I want to send him something creative, so I'm going to put together a little package of dry ingredients that he and his housemates can use to bake a cake (similar to those cute, prepackaged jars of hot chocolate or soup mix that just need water or a few fresh ingredients most people have on hand). I've been perusing my favorite food and baking blogs and I've come across some wonderful cake recipes, but they all sound a little bit too complicated for him--they'd require finding special perishable ingredients or tools and techniques that he wouldn't know how to use. Ideally, I'd like to be able to find a recipe where I could ship all the dry ingredients, and he'd just have to add something simple; no more than eggs, milk, butter, or oil...and then bake it up! I would include instructions, naturally.

Does anybody have a delicious, simple, foolproof recipe that could work for this? Much appreciated!

Ellmy
  • Posted by: Ellmy
  • September 10, 2011
  • 8096 views
  • 5 Comments

5 Comments

Emily H.
Emily H. September 11, 2011
This chocolate cake is super rich, delicious and one bowl. If he's a chocoholic, I say go for it!
http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/chocolate-peanut-butter-cake/

Also, a general tip: If you want something with a bit of vanilla flavor, make vanilla sugar so that the boy doesn't have to track down extract. :)
 
boulangere
boulangere September 11, 2011
This is extremely easy, and only needs a couple of bowls, a whisk, and some kind of cake pan.

http://www.food52.com/recipes/11540_belle_foleys_chocolate_cake
 
Skillians
Skillians September 10, 2011
I have been making this easy recipe since I was a little girl in the 50's...it was easy then, and it's easy now!
HOT MILK CAKE
Beat 2 eggs, then add a cup of granulated sugar. Alternate adding 1 cup of flour (mixed with 1 teaspoon baking soda) and 1 cup of hot milk (with a tablespoon of butter thrown in). A teaspoon of vanilla is nice, but other flavorings are good, too. Bake in an 8x8 pan for 30 minutes at 350. He can drizzle on some Hershey's chocolate syrup and call it a day.
 
ATG117
ATG117 September 10, 2011
I would recommend Amanda's Dump-It cake, but it involves melting the chocolate in a separate bowl, something a 22 yr old guy may find intimidating. So below is a link to another great chocolate cake recie by Ina Garten. It's super easy and delicious. An oil based cake to avoid the need for creaming (and possibly even a mixer) is probably the way to go.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/beattys-chocolate-cake-recipe/index.html
 
sdebrango
sdebrango September 10, 2011
Here is my fool proof chocolate cake, so easy to make one bowl no creaming or anything.
http://www.food52.com/recipes/13355_simply_chocolate_cake
This would be super simple, bag all the dry ingredients like a cake mix. All they will have to do is add the milk, eggs, oil and a cup of boiling water. I can put this cake together in 15 minutes and has always turned out so good.
 
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