Standby Chocolate cake.

I was taking an older lady shopping in Coles the other day and walked past the cake mixes to get another item for my lady friend.    When I use a packet mix, I prefer to use White wings, but as this Coles brand packet was only $2,  I thought I would buy it.

Yesterday, I cleaned out my pantry cupboards and sorted my baking tins.  Mum was a great cook, so she had tins for this, and tins for that and tins for every occasion.  After sorting them all out and going down memory lane remembering what mum used to make in that tin, I decided to make use of one of her tins that I had not used before.  

As I need to take a plate for morning tea for Sunday, I decided to try out this Coles Chocolate cake packet mix. So although this is not mum's recipe, I used one of her tins- a round 20 cm tin (8 inch) with a cut out in the middle, one I have not used previously.

Observations:

It is a very simple Chocolate cake recipe of course, being a packet mix with the need to only add

•  1/2 cup milk, 
• 2 eggs
• 80g butter.

When I first opened the chocolate mixture, it looked quite lumpy, but as I had already poured it into my bowl, I decided that perhaps for a future occasion, I would sift it.  No need  to do this as once you add the ingredients and combine it with an electric mixer- first 1 minute slowly and then 2 minutes on high speed, the mixture comes out quite smooth.  However, for a much smoother effect, I would probably sift the packet mix for a future occasion.  

Then into the oven for 45 minutes. There is also icing mixture with the packet with the cook adding 30g butter and milk.  

Keep you posted on its progress but if  you need a chocolate cake for unexpected guests or for taking a plate, it is worth having this packet in the pantry. There are only milk, eggs and and butter to add.  As I don't drink milk, I used powdered milk and made up the right quantity. I always have eggs and butter in the house. 

UPDATE ON THE STANDBY CHOCOLATE CAKE.

I took my chocolate cake along to morning tea, along with sultana cake and jelly slices.  Interesting enough the chocolate cake was the first to go and I was flat out getting a piece to try.
This cake is not a light chocolate cake like a sponge like mixture, but not like a mud cake either.  It is somewhere in between the two, but with quite a dense mixture. It was indeed quite tasty and no one knew it was a packet mix. Some asked for the recipe!!

The icing is a glaze icing not a frosted icing.  I used water by mistake in the icing, but I think milk would definitely make it thicker and bind it easier. Make sure your butter is already at room temperature.

As I said, it is definitely worth having in the pantry to be able to make in a hurry.  It is a Coles brand packet mix and obviously can only be brought at Coles. I brought it on special for $2.