Irresistible 2-Ingredient Mountain Dew Cake: The Ultimate Easy Treat

After sharing some of the Heavenly Ham recipes I had from my time of working there, I’ve decided to start sharing some other recipes that I love featuring incredibly easy and delightful treats. As I've mentioned in the past, I have managed a few bakeries and cakes were usually made with cake mixes though they did use traditional ingredients rather than this simple cake hack. If I started my own bakery, recipes like this might be the way I roll. If you are a baking purist, or someone who attended culinart arts or even the Wilton Cake classes at Michael's, I'm very sorry for this...but this is too delicious not to share. I’m excited to introduce the 2-Ingredient Mountain Dew Cake! Stay tuned for more simple and delicious recipes coming your way.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of White or yellow cake mix, any brand or store brand
• 12-ounce can of Mountain Dew, Mello Yello, or any citrus soda (Sprite or 7-Up will work but with a lighter flavor)

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and prepare the pan as needed (greasing, etc.). I use a silicone baking pan which doesn't require any grease or oil
• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix and 12-ounce can of Mountain Dew. Mix well.
• Pour the mixture into your prepared cake pan and spread it evenly.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Tips:

• Don’t worry about having name-brand Mountain Dew; any citrus soda will work just fine.
• The ingredients in Mountain Dew help the cake set up without needing eggs or oil. I don't know how it works but trust me, it does!
• Depending on your oven and cake pan, you might need to bake a little longer.
• Lemon cake mix can also be used and would add even more citrus flavor to an already delicious cake.

I use premade icing from the baking aisle—it doesn’t really matter the brand, whether it's Pillsbury, Great Value, or any other. I simply heat it in the microwave for a few seconds and then pour it over the cake to create a thin icing. Since the cake is already quite sweet, you won’t miss the frosting if you choose not to add it. Alternatively, you could use whipped cream or Cool Whip as icing, but keep in mind it would need to be refrigerated.

I hope you enjoy making this easy and delicious 2-Ingredient Mountain Dew Cake. If you have any fun variations, personal stories, or tips, please share them in the comments. Your support means the world to me, and I’m always excited to hear from you. Let’s keep the joy of baking alive together!

Potato Cheese & Corn Chowder: A Winter Comfort Food

Now that winter is in full swing, I thought I'd share my favorite winter comfort food recipe just in time for all those winter storms we may or may not get. No matter what, it's an amazingly easy and delicious recipe.

I toyed around with the recipe in the old Better Homes and Gardens recipe book and found ways to improve upon it, developing my own version of chowder. My version is pretty much foolproof. In the BH&G recipe, the milk is one of the first ingredients added, and unfortunately, 99% of the time, I burned or scalded the milk, which ruined the entire batch. My version saves that step until it's safe to go into the mix.

Ingredients:
7 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
32 oz chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
1 16 oz can whole kernel corn
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

• Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain.
• Reserve 1 cup of potatoes and return the remaining to the saucepan. Mash the reserved potatoes, then return them to the saucepan.
• Stir in the broth, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk the milk and flour together until smooth, then add to the saucepan, stirring constantly.
• Stir until the mixture thickens, then add the cheese and corn. Stir until the cheese melts.

Bacon and chopped scallions make great additions as garnish.

This is comfort food, not for a calorie-counting day for sure. Enjoy!