The Waffle Maker Hack For A Delicious Cake Treat In A Flash

If you're looking for a unique way to serve sweet treats at your next gathering, you may want to grab your waffle maker. The appliance is most commonly used to cook a popular breakfast item, but it can be used to cook a few other things, too. If you want a slightly unconventional way to make cookies, it can come in handy. The kitchen appliance can also help you make quick and easy individually portioned cakes. All you'll need to do is swap in some cake batter instead of waffle mix.

This trick can work with homemade batter or store-bought boxes of cake mix. Prepare the batter as you usually would to bake a cake. Then, instead of pouring it into a pan and preheating the oven, spoon some of that batter into your waffle maker. Once it cooks, you'll have a delicious waffle-shaped cake ready to top with frosting, ice cream, or sprinkles.

Once you have mixed your cake batter, preheat the waffle iron. If your appliance has adjustable temperature settings, it should be set to medium heat. Then, coat the inside with a nonstick spray. Carefully pour the cake batter in, and close the top of the waffle maker.

The cake batter waffle should cook until it's fully set, which usually takes 5-7 minutes. Some waffle irons will have an indication light to signify the food should be ready. If your appliance doesn't, the best signs to look out for are when there's a little steam coming out of the machine, and the lid opens easily. If your waffle sticks to the device when you try to open it, it likely needs more time. Once the cake waffles have finished cooking, you can add toppings to complete the taste of a slice of cake.

While the cake batter can be scooped into the waffle maker as-is to create the sweet treat, there are some ways to amplify the taste even more. Adding a little sour cream to your chocolate cake batter may help make the cake waffle extra moist. And, instead of mixing up the recipe as directed, you may be able to swap in a can of soda instead of eggs and oil. The carbon dioxide in the can allows the cake to rise as it bakes, according to Betty Crocker. 

When using cake batter to create a super sweet waffle-shaped treat, the toppings expand to include more dessert options than you might have with breakfast waffles. You can spread some frosting or whipped cream on top or add a scoop of ice cream. And, as a bonus, the divots of the waffle will help hold the sweet spreads in place. Then sprinkle on some fresh fruit, sprinkles, or candies to complete the sweet treat.