Chocolate Surprise Cake

By Nordic Ware
Images
Chocolate Surprise Cake
Serves
Makes 1 surprise cake
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter or margarine
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2½ cups sifted flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ¾ cup cocoa
  • ⅔ cup boiling water
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract

  • Vanilla Frosting:
  • ¾ cup solid vegetable shortening
  • ¾ cup butter (1½ sticks) or margarine, softened
  • 1½ teaspoons “clear” vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 cups (about 1½ lbs.) sifted confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons milk


  • Procedure
    Let your imagination run wild with this innovative cake that can be decorated to suit any occasion. With the Nordic Ware Surprise Cake Pan, an aluminum insert locks into place, making it easy to bake candy-stuffed piñata cakes, blue- or pink-interior-reveal cakes for baby showers or candy-corn stuffed jack-o’-lantern cakes.

    To make the batter: In a large bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together flour, soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture. Stir cocoa in 2/3 cup boiling water until dissolved. At low speed, beat cocoa mixture and almond extract into batter. *Uses about 4 cups batter per surprise cake.

    To make the cake: Fill Surprise Cake Pan ¾ of the way full with batter and lock into place. Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into cake tests done. Invert onto wire rack or serving plate to cool. Make a second cake, repeating the same process.

    Assembling the cake: Flip one of the cake halves onto a cake stand or plate so that the hollow center is facing upward. Spread vanilla icing along the rim surrounding the center. Fill with your favorite treats then put the two halves together to create a spherical cake. The flat bottom makes the cake easy to store and display.

    Frost the entire cake, decorate and enjoy!

    Chocolate Surprise Cake

    By Nordic Ware
    Serves
    Makes 1 surprise cake
    Ingredients
    • 1 cup butter or margarine
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2½ cups sifted flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ¾ cup cocoa
  • ⅔ cup boiling water
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract

  • Vanilla Frosting:
  • ¾ cup solid vegetable shortening
  • ¾ cup butter (1½ sticks) or margarine, softened
  • 1½ teaspoons “clear” vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 cups (about 1½ lbs.) sifted confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons milk


  • Procedure
    Let your imagination run wild with this innovative cake that can be decorated to suit any occasion. With the Nordic Ware Surprise Cake Pan, an aluminum insert locks into place, making it easy to bake candy-stuffed piñata cakes, blue- or pink-interior-reveal cakes for baby showers or candy-corn stuffed jack-o’-lantern cakes.

    To make the batter: In a large bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together flour, soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture. Stir cocoa in 2/3 cup boiling water until dissolved. At low speed, beat cocoa mixture and almond extract into batter. *Uses about 4 cups batter per surprise cake.

    To make the cake: Fill Surprise Cake Pan ¾ of the way full with batter and lock into place. Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into cake tests done. Invert onto wire rack or serving plate to cool. Make a second cake, repeating the same process.

    Assembling the cake: Flip one of the cake halves onto a cake stand or plate so that the hollow center is facing upward. Spread vanilla icing along the rim surrounding the center. Fill with your favorite treats then put the two halves together to create a spherical cake. The flat bottom makes the cake easy to store and display.

    Frost the entire cake, decorate and enjoy!